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Peter and Paul Parish of the Moscow Patriarchate in Regina

Archpriest Evgeny PROTSENKO

THE LAW OF GOD in the children's parish school.

Introductory lesson. Organization of classes. Topic: the world is a creation of God.

Law of God. The figure of a priest in vestments (Children's work. The group of teacher Ksenia Lomak).

Prayer.

“Good evening everyone! Hello guys! Let’s pray before the start of our lessons: today we have a whole prayer service, because we are starting our classes…”

Prayer before the start of training

Lord our God and our Creator, in His image we, the people, who adorned, Thy chosen ones, taught Thy Law, so that those who listen to him marvel, revealed to the children the secrets of wisdom, Solomon and all who seek her bestowed - open the hearts, minds and lips of Thy servants these ( names: Igor, Nikita, John, Victor, George, Polina and Alexandra ... ) in order to understand the power of Your Law and successfully learn the useful teaching taught by it for the glory of Your Most Holy Name, for the benefit and dispensation of Your Holy Church and the understanding of Your good and perfect will. Deliver them from all the wiles of the enemy, keep them in the faith of Christ and purity throughout their lives - may they be strong in mind and in the fulfillment of Your commandments and so taught, glorify Your Most Holy Name and be heirs of Your Kingdom - for You, God, are strong all glory, honor and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, always, now and forever and forever and ever, is due to mercy and blessings in strength and to You. Amen.

"King of Heaven"(sing) and Prayer before teaching

Good Lord, send us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, giving meaning and strengthening our spiritual strength, so that, listening to the teachings taught to us, we grow up to You, our Creator, to the glory, our parent for consolation, the Church and the fatherland for the benefit.

Merciful Lord! send us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, which gives understanding and strengthens our spiritual strength, so that, listening with attention to the teachings taught to us, we grow up to You, our Creator, to the glory, to our parents for the consolation, the Church and the fatherland for the benefit.

1. Organizational moment: (5-7 min)

Personal acquaintance:“We all have already seen each other (at the service, before and after the service in the church ...), we know someone better, better, with someone so far not so well. Let's get to know each other ... ”I invite the children to stand up and introduce themselves, give their name, surname, age, where do they live? (where did you come from?) ... and everyone else should remember the names of their classmates and friends ... "

Acquaintance with the basic rules of conduct at school: “Most often, especially at first, I will tell you something new, interesting, useful for the soul, important for our life ... I will ask you to listen carefully, not be distracted and not distract others ... but sometimes I will ask you. And if someone knows the answer to my question - do not immediately try to shout it out loud, otherwise you can ruin everything ... But you need to give me a sign that you know the answer. What do you think? (“Now we will see if you know this ...”) - What should the one who can answer do? Well, show me this sign, show me that you know the answer to this, my first question. - Raise a hand. Save me, God!

Acquaintance with the subject of classes (and a natural transition to the presentation of the material): It can be done in the form of a dialogue, gradually bringing students to the essence of our subject ... And also: “Our subject is called“ The Law of God ”and today we will try to understand why this is strange to someone, interesting to someone, not entirely clear the name of our lessons ... why exactly law» So today we will find out why our lessons in the church school are called that way.

Getting to know the subject:
Today we will talk about the world around us, about the world in which we live ...

2) Main body:

A) Pwatching films about the beauty of God's world:

"The Amazing Beauty of Nature. Part 3" - 5 min.
"The Beauty of God's World" - 2 min.

And before starting our conversation, our conversation, well, in order to better understand what we are going to talk about, I suggest you watch a few short films ... Let us not see the whole world in these films, but they will help us see a lot of this world ... Get comfortable…

B) A short conversation about the beautiful and wise structure of the world around us.

Diversity: Well, what do we see in this world? "... what do we see: sky, sun, moon, stars, clouds, the earth on which we live, the air we breathe - and everything on earth: grass, trees, mountains, rivers, seas, fish, birds, animals, animals, and finally, people, that is, ourselves ... "" The earthly world is wonderful in its beauty, and everything in it is filled with life. It is impossible to count all the plants and animals that inhabit the earth, from the smallest, invisible to our eyes, to the largest. They live everywhere: on land, and in water, and in the air, and in the soil, and even deep underground ... ”S. Slobodskaya:

/// The largest animal on earth is the blue whale.
It reaches up to 33 meters in length (average length 23-29 meters) and over 200 tons of weight. The weight of the tongue of a whale is equal to the weight of an Asian elephant. The heart of a whale is the size of a car.

/// The whale is the largest but not in height - since the Dinosaur is longer. In the history of the planet earth, the largest creature found is the dinosaur amphecelius from 40 to 65 meters in length, weighing up to 160 tons, twice the length of the blue whale. If an African elephant were then grazing next to Anphycelia, then he would have to be very careful not to be accidentally crushed by a dinosaur.

Megalodon - no more: 60 tons of weight and 20 meters in length.
The whale is larger: 200 tons in weight and 29 meters in length.

Conclusion one : "Which diversity in this world ! How a lot of interesting things in this world!

The arrangement of every part of this world:

S. Slobodskoy: “Here, we are in the meadow *. Above us was a blue sky with white clouds. And on the ground is thick green grass dotted with flowers. Among the grass, you can hear the chirping of various insects, and moths flutter over the flowers, bees and various midges fly. The whole earth here is like a big, beautiful carpet…”

/// Explain what a meadow is, first based on the fact that we are in the forest (meadow - clearing) or even better - we approach to the forest; and also figuratively: like a square in a city, around a house, high and not very high, but there are no buildings (houses) on the square ... (it’s better to start from the forest, we go through the meadow into the forest ...)

« Let's walk through the forest. There we will see many different types and structures of trees. There is a mighty oak, and a slender spruce, and a curly birch, and a fragrant linden, and a tall pine, and a dense hazel. There are clearings with shrubs and all kinds of herbs. Everywhere you can hear the voices of birds, the buzzing and chirping of insects. Hundreds of different breeds of animals live in the forest. And how many berries, mushrooms and different flowers are there! This is its own big, forest world ... "

« And here is the river. It smoothly carries its waters, gleaming in the sun, among forests, fields and meadows. What a pleasure to swim in it! It's hot all around, but cool and light in the water. And how many different fish, frogs, water bugs and other living creatures are in it. It has its own life, its own world.

   And how majestic the sea, which has its own huge and rich underwater world of living beings.

   How beautiful are the mountains, leaving their peaks covered with eternal snow and ice, high beyond the clouds ... "

Second conclusion: Wow! How much beautiful worlds in one world! Which wealth worlds in one world !

"Now let's look into the deep dark night, from earth to heaven. How many there we will see stars dotted over it. There are countless of them! All these are separate worlds. Many of the stars are the same as our sun or moon, and there are those that are many times larger than them, but are so far from the earth that they appear to us as small luminous points. All of them harmoniously and in harmony move along certain paths and laws next to each other. And our earth in this heavenly space seems like a small bright point ... "

Conclusion three: How great and vast world!

B) General conclusion : S. Slobodskoy: “Rich and diverse [and immense] world! But at the same time, in this huge variety reigns wonderful and orderly order (well, just like the law !)…. All plants and animals are settled on the earth, according to this order. And who is supposed to eat what they eat. Everything is given a certain reasonable goal … its time, place and purpose, its own law and its own freedom. .

Everything in the world is diverse and beautiful,
wisely and prudently, and, at the same time,
so great and incomprehensible to our eyes and mind...
because it was arranged, created by the wise and reasonable,
great and good God! All this wonderful world
even more wonderful Father and Creator - the Lord God!
This world, and together with it we, is the law of God !

?AT) We said that God is a father... Ah (come on) now let's see if we forgot anything when we talked about God's world, or anyone, anyone else...

   Who lives everywhere on earth and reigns over everything? Who can inspect all his possessions, calls everything in this world by name ... and it seems that only he knows the whole, well, or almost the whole world (Hint: After all, we just did this after watching wonderful films about God's creation …) Well, of course it is… (human)

(from S. Slobodsky) God endowed him with reason and immortal soul. He gave man a special, great purpose: to know God, to become like Him, that is, to become better and kinder, and to inherit eternal life.

   By appearance people are divided into white, black, yellow and redskins, but they all equally have a rational and immortal soul. Through this soul, people rise above the entire animal world and become like God. For man, God is even more of a Father than a Creator!

The story is a parable about creation, about faith and unbelief.

Once a traveler who did not believe in God was passing through the desert, but his guide was a Christian. It so happened that whenever they stopped for the night and got up in the morning to set off, the guide knelt down and prayed to God. The traveler did not like this, and he did his best to tease the guide. And then one day he asked the latter: “Tell me, have you seen God?” - "Not!" - answered the conductor. "Then maybe you heard him?" - "Not!" - "Maybe you smelled God or touched?" - "Also no!" “You are stupid if you haven't seen, heard, smelled, touched God and believe in Him!”... The guide was silent. A little time passed, and now, rising in the morning, the traveler said: "We need to be careful, a caravan of camels passed here." - "And you, what did you see them?" asked the conductor. - "Not!" - answered the traveler-explorer. “What, did you hear their voice?” - "Not!" - "Then maybe you smelled or touched them?" - “No, but look: here are the traces of camels. They say that a caravan passed here,” the scientist insistently explained. - “What kind of scientist are you,” said the guide, “you believed in camels only in their tracks, meanwhile, you didn’t see them, didn’t hear or feel them, but you laughed at me that I believe in God, Whom I didn’t see . Look at least rising Sun, look around at the hills, at the bushes, or at least at these grains of sand! Whose footprints are these? What are they talking about?

3) Prayer "God bless!"

God created everything with His word, He spoke - and everything appeared. Therefore, in each of our deeds, even in the smallest, and especially in important deeds (such as, for example, studying at school), we need this word, the good word of God. So that our small business would be as good, beautiful, useful, great as the whole world of God. Bless - it means “help”, give strength to do this, make it so that it is for our benefit ... How do you think, when can you say this prayer aloud or to yourself, or in a low whisper?

4) Briefly about what God did not create.

That's what God did! The whole world and ourselves.

But there is something in this world that the Lord did not create...

God didn't do evil! Anger, envy, laziness, strife, war, murder, theft, deceit, betrayal, hypocrisy (deceit in speech and behavior), illness, old age, disasters ... All this came from sin, but this is how sin entered the world (how sin appeared in the world) - we will find out later. I will only say one thing, as the Creator, God is our Father and therefore we love him (as well as our parents), and due to the fact that, unfortunately, there is sin in the world, God is our Savior and therefore he must be honored and obeyed as a doctor and parents, when they, for example, teach us how to safely (correctly) cross the road or what can and cannot be eaten; and even be afraid to disobey him, so sometimes they say "fear God" ... but still more - to love Him than be afraid. And this too a very important part of the law of God which we will also study.

“God did not create death and does not rejoice in the death of the living, for He created everything for being, and everything in the world is saving, and there is no harmful poison, there is no kingdom of hell on earth. Righteousness is immortal" (Wisdom 1:13-15)

Woe to the world from temptations, for temptations must come; but woe to the man through whom the offense comes. (Mat. 18:7)

3) Completion. I invite the children to depict the beauty of God's world, draw what they like most in this world, and to make it better, say the prayer “God bless!”

Prayer.

Prayer after teaching

We thank Thee, the Creator, as if Thou hast vouchsafed us Thy grace, in a hedgehog heed to teaching. Bless our bosses, parents and teachers who lead us to the knowledge of the good, and give us strength and strength to continue this teaching.

We thank You, Creator, that You have honored us with Your grace to understand the teachings. Bless our bosses, parents and teachers who lead us to the knowledge of goodness, and give us strength and strength to continue this teaching.

Thank you guys for your attention and patience. Next time we'll talk about the invisible world...

In chapter " Sunday School"A new scenario has appeared - an introductory lesson on the subject "The Law of God" or "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture." The scenario is called "Creation of the World" and is designed specifically for first graders.

Artists (grades 2-3) are located on both sides of the WORLD PICTURE.

Spectators (grade 1) sit on the benches in the hall. First-graders have toys-guesses-animals and luminaries in their hands.

Dear first graders! You have come to study at a school where, along with general education subjects, you will study the “Law of God”. We have prepared a performance for you, and you will find out what you have to do in the lesson " Orthodox culture". Listen carefully, because you are not just spectators, but participants in our performance.

Dear children! You know how everything goes dark at night when all the lights are off. Here close your eyes. Dark? Open.

(Pay attention to the picture of the world, black cloth)

In such darkness was once the whole world. Then there was no grass, no trees, no beautiful flowers, no birds, not even sky and earth, but the whole universe was darkness and chaos. There was only one Merciful GOD.

He wanted the world to appear, or, as they say more simply, light. And he created the angels first. Angels are incorporeal and therefore invisible spirits, immortal, like our souls. They are endowed with intelligence, will and power. The word "angel" in translation into Russian means "messenger". Angels are wonderfully sung in a children's song, which will be performed by children in grades 2 and 3.

(Sounds "Song about angels" lyrics by I. Yazykova, music by Katya Pasternak)

(A girl dressed as an angel appears on a dark background)

Then he created the heavens and the earth on which we live. But there was still terrible darkness everywhere. Deep below, the dark water was rippling, while the Spirit of God hovered over the water. The earth did not immediately appear in the form in which you now see it, but GOD arranged everything on it in six days.

On the first day, God created light. And light-light became on the earth. And the Lord divided the light and the darkness. And God called the light day and the darkness night.

(Light appears in the picture of the world)

On the second day, God created the firmament. By the word of God, the vast blue vault of heaven was opened, which you see above you when you walk.

(A blue sky appears in the picture of the world).

On the third day, the Lord GOD commanded that water on earth be collected in special places. And suddenly streams, rivers and lakes formed. Where there was no water, dry land stood out, on which large and small mountains arose. But, if there was bare land everywhere, if you didn’t see a single green leaf, flower, or tree anywhere, do you think it would be beautiful? Yes, that would be very ugly and boring. And on the third day, the Merciful God said: let the earth grow grass, vegetables and flowers. And let every plant bring forth a seed so that new plants can spread from it. Let the trees grow on the earth and bear fruit. And at His command, tender herbs, beautiful flowers, a variety of bushes and trees grew out of the earth.

(Land, water bodies, vegetation appear in the picture of the world).

Now you can understand that the earth has become more beautiful and more fun than it was at first.

On the fourth day, God said: “Let the luminaries appear in the firmament of heaven, which would illuminate the earth and by which people could distinguish day from night, count months and years and notice spring, summer, autumn and winter.” And countless luminaries immediately shone in the firmament of heaven. Between many luminaries, two seem to us more than others. The Creator commanded that one of them should shine during the day and the other at night.

Grade 2 prepared riddles about the fourth day of creation. 1st grade guesses.

(The sun, moon and stars appear in the picture of the world).

Now it was very beautiful on earth. Below, flowers bloomed and streams murmured. Above, clouds floated across the sky, and a huge sun shone above them. But not a single living being has yet been on earth. Not a single bird has yet flown in the air. There were no butterflies on the flowers, no ladybugs on the leaves. Not a single worm crawled on the ground, and not a single fish swam in lakes and rivers. So everywhere was quiet and dead.

So, on the fifth day, God said: "Let fish live in the water, and birds fly in the air." And what? Large and small fish swam across the water. Frogs jumped and snakes crawled, crayfish moved back. Among them is a big dinosaur.

(Dinosaurs appear in the picture of the world).

These are not all the living beings that the Lord created on the fifth day. Now the guys in grades 2 and 3 will sing about it themselves.

(The “Funny song” sounds. Birds, insects, amphibians and fish appear in the picture of the world).

Thank you guys, we now know that birds, insects, amphibians and fish appeared on the earth on the fifth day.

On the sixth day, God created animals and beasts of the earth, such that they cannot live in water and cannot fly. And according to the word of God, animals appeared, two of each kind, so that they could multiply.

About the sixth day of creation, the children of the 3rd grade prepared riddles about animals.

And you first graders, be careful. If you have a clue in your hands, boldly run out onto the stage and attach it to the picture of the world.

You can get to know me,

I am a horse with a long neck.

You, my friend, of course, are right,

Did you understand that I... giraffe .

Do you hear the mighty thud?

See the long trunk?

This is not a magical dream!

This is an African...elephant .

Here is another animal

He carries a wallet in his bag

Deftly long jump

Australian...kangaroo .

Whose antics without difficulty

Repeats the kids?

Who lives among the vines?

Pack of wild... monkeys .

Long ears, fast paws,

Grey, but not a mouse.

Who is it?... hare .

Who sucks his paw in winter?

He also loves honey.

Can roar loudly

What is his name? ... bear .

Branches crunch in the forest,

Here and there.

Looking for acorns... boar .

On the lawn for an hour

runs around playfully

striped mattress

with a tail and mane.

Zebra .

So now there were plants and animals. But another creation was missing. Who else do you think is missing? There were no more people.

And it was God's will to create man. “I want to create a man,” God said, “let him be master over all the animals and all the earth. Let us make man in Our image and likeness."

Now listen to how the Merciful GOD created the first man. He took a piece of earth and from it created the human body and breathed into it a rational soul. The name of the first man is Adam. And put man at the head of all His creations.

The Lord blessed all His creatures and commanded them to multiply and fill the earth. He gave the fruits of the trees to man, and to the animals greenery, grass, and leaves.

So in six days the whole world was created. And when GOD once again examined everything that he had created, he saw that everything was beautiful.

The final song plays from the TV screen.

The bird has feathers

Fish have fins.

Animals have fur

Claws and fangs.

Who is sad, who is happy

Who loves darkness, who loves light

We all live together

on the best of the planets.

We are all earthlings.

The end and glory to God!

SONG ABOUT ANGELS

Angels live in the sky

Glory to God Almighty sing,

People's prayers are lifted up to the sky,

Sweet dreams of children.

My Lord, open your heart

My Lord, open your heart

I know you are the living God.

God sends angels from heaven

To proclaim God's miracles,

They bring faith and joy

Messengers of God's love.

My Lord, open your heart

Let me hear the angelic choir!

My Lord, open your heart

I know you are the living God.

FUNNY SONG (FIFTH DAY)

little frog

Sitting on a stump

A funny song

Sang the frog.

song with butterflies

This one spun

And on my violin

She sank quietly.

Chorus: Ti-li-li ...

On a green branch

Maybug sat

buzzing song

He sang to himself.

With the wind that song

Made friends quickly

And on my flute

She sank quietly.

Chorus: Doo-doo-doo ...

nightingale nightingale

Sat on a birch

Song about the sun

He sang softly.

Happy summer this song

Made friends right away

To my heart

She sank gently.

Chorus: La-la-la...

SONG ABOUT THE SIXTH DAY OF CREATION

On the sixth day of creation

The sky was bright.

In our field of vision

Hare lion and elephant.

On the blooming shore

100 hearts beat:

Animals rejoice -

The Creator created them

Like gifts

I lifted my head,

Look at the bright sky

Zebra and giraffe.

Beasts are unintelligent

Jumping in a crowd

created by God,

This day is the sixth.

Boars under the branches

Dig here and there

With a bag with the kids

Jumping kangaroo.

On the ground under the sun

Happiness and peace -

All around is full

Marvelous beauty!

WHO CREATED THE SEA AND THE LAND (POEM)

Who created the sea and land?

Who gave you life and soul?

All creation

And you are the creation of God's hands!

Is it not a miracle of miracles:

Does God send rain from heaven?

Look at the grass

Rejoices: I live!

Grasshopper how to jump out of the grass -

knees above head

Wings will unfold - and in flight.

And he is a small, earthly creature,

And dear to God!

Butterfly!

How easy it flutters!

God gave her breath.

Caterpillar

On a green sheet and not visible,

But God needs it!

Ladybug

He sits on his finger - he's not afraid!

Quiet, harmless creature

In God's universe.

Dragonfly -

air wanderer -

Heavenly messenger.

Firefly your flashlight

Lights up in the evenings.

All nature is God's temple!

Lesson text: Gen. 1:1-5, 24-28, 31; 2:1-3, 7

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. one; 2

Key verse:"You, Lord, are one, You created the sky, the heavens of heaven and all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You live all this, and the heavenly armies worship You" (Nehemiah 9 :6)

Introduction

In his desire to personally know God, a person can miss one of the brightest and most real revelations of God - creation. Anyone who loves to read the "book of nature" - the book of Genesis - is more and more imbued with the power, love, purity, beauty and peace of the Father and the Son. It is written so simply that by refusing to accept this message of God, telling us about His enduring power and authority, we incur the wrath of God and remain without His answers (Rom. 1:20). Today, many people are primarily concerned with the material side of life and they do not want to know what God teaches us in the book of Creation, and this is one of His best textbooks for us. Let us remember the truths that the Lord revealed to us through His creation.

"All things were made through Him" ​​(John 1:3).

Lesson text

Gen. 1:1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

3. And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.

4. And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

5. And God called the light day, and the darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning: one day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind. And it became so.

25. And God created the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image [and] after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, [and over the beasts] and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing reptiles on the ground.

27. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea [and over the beasts] and over the birds of the air [and over every livestock and over all the earth ,] and over every living thing that creeps on the ground.

31. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning: the sixth day.

2:1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2. And on the seventh day God finished His works which He did, and rested on the seventh day from all His works which He did.

3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, for in it he rested from all his works, which God created and created.

7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

Lesson learning

We must by faith accept the biblical story of the creation of the world. The description of creation is short, but complete and stunning in its immensity, though not replete with details. Most likely, if God revealed to us all the details of creation, man would simply not be able to understand them. There is a danger in the human desire to fill in all the gaps and explain all these miracles, relying only on one's own mind. But reverent reasoning about the greatness of heaven, about the creation of God's hands, as David did, will only bring benefits to strengthen faith. How humble thoughts about God's greatness and our own insignificance. I would like to say with David: "What is a man that You remember him?" (Ps. 8:5).

It is true that the Creator is the Father and the Son. To create the Universe and all the finest details out of nothing - this is really subject only to God. The order, harmony and balance of all ecological systems constantly testify to us about the wondrous Creator. What strikes the unbelieving person pleases the heart and mind of the believer who lives for God, who is a child of God.

The creation of the sixth day, when God created man and breathed a living soul into him, became the crown of glory for the whole universe, presented in all its grandeur and beauty. Everything created by God is thought out to the smallest detail. Just as perfect is the peace that a person can receive by accepting what Jesus Christ did at Calvary. Let us also have spiritual peace, free from the burdens of human labor and effort. May our rest be as God had when he rested on the seventh day (Heb. 4:10). And although the children of God have found rest, they will still groan and ache with all of nature until they are forever redeemed and adopted (Rom. 8:22-23).

Is it true that the Lord speaks to us through His creations? What is He telling us? Jesus says, "Learn from Me." In the Word of God we read: "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him; and He is first of all, and everything costs them" (Col. 1:16,17). The force that created everything is just as effective now. The lessons we can learn from the "book of creation" are as vital as the Creator himself.

peace. All nature speaks of God. You can observe that nature speaks softly about itself and only a few sounds break its silence. But as civilization grows, people make more and more noise. The mind and hearing of a person is filled with conversations, loud cries, business noise, and then a person does not understand why he does not hear the quiet voice of the Creator. "Stop and know that I am God." In other words, to know God, surround yourself with silence. Nature teaches us to be at peace in order to let the Creator speak to us.

Providence. Jesus specifically drew our attention to the "book of nature" - the book of Genesis, to teach us how vain our concern for our own physical needs. Nature itself, through animals, birds, roadside flowers, teaches us that the Creator tenderly takes care of all our needs. Jesus exhorted us to remember God's providence by talking about how God cares for birds and even wild flowers. And not even a small bird will fall to the ground without His will (Matt. 10:29).

Fear of God. Which of us has not realized, faced with the elements in a thunderstorm, how weak and insignificant we are before the force of nature? Feeling the sizzling heat of an approaching wildfire or the roar of a tornado in the dark of the night will make many cry out to God. Nature teaches weak man the fear of God and that man needs God's protection.

Warning. Have you ever watched how a spider carefully and methodically weaves a caught insect with a web? It can no longer help itself, unless someone else intervenes. Have you ever heard the plaintive squeak of an animal being swallowed alive by a snake? Can this "old serpent" be our friend and not swallow us up (Rev. 12:9)? What does nature teach us about the destruction that termites bring? Aren't these "little foxes" that destroy our first love and our spiritual abode? Nature teaches us to be vigilant!

True beauty. Our Creator loves beauty. We see it in the purity and brilliance of the sunrise, in the brightness of the afternoon and in the last beautiful rays of the sunset. Soft spring greens and play of colors of autumn - it all originates in God's love for beauty. This beauty cannot be improved by man. It is natural, not artificially created. The beauty of nature draws its charm from the power of the Creator. Nature teaches us that the source of the beauty that glorifies God is the heart, in which the spirit of Christ lives. Everything artificial, imitative that a person appropriates for himself, be it behavior, clothing, lifestyle, is not beauty from God. Nature teaches us to give "to the Lord the glory of his name" (Ps. 28:2).

Questions

1. What should be the attitude of a Christian towards the protection of resources, wildlife, natural habitats of animals, etc.?

2. "I like to go to the mountains, because there I feel closer to God." Is there any danger in this statement?

3. Can a Christian relate Creation, as described in Genesis, to the theory of evolution? How should we answer questions about evolution?

4. With the development of technology and the economy that takes us away from a simple farm life, can our children lose their love for the surrounding beauty, for nature? If yes, how will it affect them?

For daily reading

Tue - There is no equal to God - Isa: 40:18-28

Wed - Garment of God - Ps. 103

Thu. - The fear of the Lord leads his creation - Job 37

Fri. - Creation reveals God - Rom. 1:18-25

Sat. - Great and infinite is the power of God - Job 26:7-14

Sun. - Created by God - Ps. 99

The wages of sin

Lesson text: Gen. 3:1-10, 22-24; Rome. 5:12

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. 3

Key verse:"But your iniquities have made a division between you and your God, and your sins turn away His face from you, so as not to hear" (Isaiah 59:2)

Introduction

Nothing can bring us closer to God than obedience and submission to Him, which spring from our gratitude to Him for the great gift of salvation He has given us. And vice versa: nothing can so quickly alienate us from the Lord as disobedience, which cools our love for Him. The result of this neglect of God is pride, which prevents us from submitting to Him.

In the Garden of Eden, the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to cover their nakedness were a completely unsuccessful attempt to hide their disobedience. Just as useless are our own attempts to cover our sins. It's good that we know that God has given us garments that can really cover us - the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Lesson text

Gen. 3:1. The serpent was more cunning than all the beasts of the field that the Lord God had created. And the serpent said to the woman: Did God truly say: Do not eat from any tree in paradise?

2. And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruits of the trees,

3. Only the fruits of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God said, do not eat or touch them, lest you die.

4. And the serpent said to the woman: No, you will not die,

5. But God knows that on the day you eat them, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.

6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eye and desirable, because it gives knowledge; and took its fruit and ate; and gave also to her husband, and he ate.

7. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons.

9. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him: [Adam,] where are you?

22. And the Lord God said, Behold, Adam has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, no matter how he stretched out his hand, and took also from the tree of life, and ate, and began to live forever.

23. And the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

24. And he drove out Adam, and placed in the east near the garden of Eden the Cherubim and the flaming sword that turned to guard the way to the tree of life.

Rome. 5:12. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Lesson learning

In the Garden of Eden, Satan succeeded in his desire to disrupt God's plan, through which God wanted to glorify His royal creation. Asking a simple question: "Did God really say?", the devil, in the form of a serpent, sowed a seed of doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, and they ate from the forbidden fruit. And today Satan has not changed his tactics much. Today he seeks to fill the minds of God's children just as he did in the Garden of Eden. As the sworn enemy of the Lord and as the father of lies, he continues to attack us through temptations that are of the same nature and seek to achieve the same goal. He still sows doubts in our minds, causing us to ask the same question: "Did God truly say?" Finding the slightest loophole, he makes us doubt the teachings of the Word of God and the decisions that the community makes through the general meeting.

Of course, Eve remembered both that God forbade eating the fruits of that tree, and what consequences await those who violate this prohibition (Genesis 3:3). How she justified her deliberate disobedience remains a mystery to us. How different are we from Eve? When we fall into the clutches of Satan, we underestimate his ability to blind us to reality. How Satan can blind people is evidenced by what happened to Achan, David, Ahab.

While Eve was happy, occupying the position that the Lord intended for her, she did not think about the fruit that grew on the tree of "the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:17). It was only when Satan drew her attention to him that she felt tempted. There seems to be something in human nature that makes the Forbidden fruit especially desirable. The devil knows when he can use the addictions inherent in both all people and each of us individually.

If Adam and Eve had known how long humanity would suffer from the choices they made, would they have acted differently? If we knew what our own decisions might lead to, we would, by the grace of God, be careful. We must pray about it, and only God, answering our prayers, will show us how our actions can affect our own life and the lives of others in the future. We don't want to be in a position where we have to look for the proverbial "fig leaf", which is really useless, to cover our nakedness before God.

Adam and Eve lost their sinlessness when they disobeyed God. Everyone in life has a time of transition from a state of innocence to responsibility, when a person begins to be responsible for his actions. The cherub with a fiery sword in his hands, whom God placed to guard the Garden of Eden after the fall of mankind, did not separate us from God once and for all. The Lord has not left us without hope, and He gives us hope now.

Practical truths for today

The blood of Christ gives us, as children of God, the opportunity to enter into the presence of God. Only through the Blood of Christ can we escape the wrath of the almighty God. In order to make leather garments for Adam and Eve, blood also had to be shed. And to cover our sins, the Blood of the Son of God had to be shed, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22).

Temptations are part of life. We are all sinners by nature and we cannot avoid it. “No temptation has overtaken you but a human one; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but when tempted will give you relief, so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13). All our attempts to lay the blame not on ourselves, but on something else, will not do us any good. Eve said that the serpent had tempted her, and Adam said that Eve had given him the fruit. We also like to think that some external force has caused our troubles. We plead innocence, saying that it is not us, but our nature; we say that we were forced by circumstances, that others do the same, that we did not want to do anything wrong, that we were raised that way, or that we had no other choice. Many more tricks can be cited by which we try to justify ourselves when we have sinned. But all our excuses are like fig leaves.

What happened in the Garden of Eden reveals to us that the Lord in His wisdom established a special order of authority and responsibility in the union between husband and wife. And although Eve was the first to taste the forbidden fruit, God approached with a question about what happened not to her, but to Adam. Adam was not ready to admit his guilt. Whatever the case, Adam disobeyed God and God held him accountable for what he did, regardless of what Eve did.

Much could be changed for the better if the head of the family assumed full responsibility and led the family in obedience and devotion to God. If a father himself seeks to live according to the Word of God, he will examine his own soul, and in doing so he will humble himself, realizing his shortcomings and that he himself needs God. The evil one may whisper to him that humility is a sign of weakness, when in fact it is a source of strength that gives confidence and the ability to inspire confidence.

The fact that Adam could not resist the temptation and God punished him for it did not relieve Eve of responsibility for her disobedience to God. Eva was simply fascinated by the beautiful fruit that was so easy to get and that offered her momentary satisfaction. All she had to do was reach out, pick it up and eat it. Satan's words, "Did God really say?", which could only be a whisper, drove away the remorse of Eve, and she took the fruit, ate herself and gave to Adam. A familiar picture? The devil, the evil one, the accuser, the prince of the world, the tempting serpent, Satan - whoever he may be, comes to us offering forbidden fruit.

Even taught by the experience of the past, we are subject to the deceptions of Satan. Much is offered to us in beautiful wrappers, with a completely harmless appearance, promising to bring satisfaction. And although we remember what God said, Satan tries to plant doubt in our minds: "Did God say this?" If we are not firm in our faith, can we handle temptation better than Adam and Eve did? What voice do we obey?

Examples

You have to pay for services. In everyday life, we call this payment. We receive pay from our employers. In the spiritual realm, we also receive rewards from those we serve. As we serve Heavenly Father, He gives us peace of mind, peace of mind, love for the Lord, love for brethren, love for God's creatures, contentment, gratitude, and many other abundant blessings. But instead of repaying us with this, He simply generously bestows upon us.

Consider how different what Satan pays us is from God's gifts. He stirs our minds, disturbs our hearts, and our spirit has no rest in search. The devil creates in us desires that will never be satisfied - selfish desires that put our needs ahead of the needs of others. He makes us feel superior to others so that we can assert ourselves in this, achieving our own goals. On the other hand, we feel inferior, unworthy, and therefore we begin to look for an outlet in envy. We will envy others for their success and be dissatisfied with our own efforts. That is, everything that Satan wants to pay us with has a negative, undesirable connotation. If we serve the devil, this is the price we deserve, and the final price will be death.

The Lord is a jealous God. He does not want us to work on the side while working for Him. If we don't serve Him, we serve the evil one. If we serve the devil, we are doomed to eternity with him in hell. Serving the Lord, in eternity we will be where He dwells. "Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve" (Josh. 24:15).

Questions

1. Why do we try to earn salvation through our own efforts?

2. What are some reasons why we try to lay the blame for our sins on others?

3. Explain what temptations a Christian might be subject to?

4. Why was God the first to ask about what happened in the Garden of Eden to Adam, but first blamed Eve?

5. Where and what is our Garden of Eden?

For daily reading

Mon. - Taste the forbidden fruit - Gen. 3:16-19

Tue - Consequences of sin - Judgment. 16:4-20

Wed - Lose the birthright - Gen. 25:29-34

Thu. - Covenants of God - Ps. 18:7-14

Fri. - The futility of sin - Job 15:17-35

Sat. - Glory to the Son - Heb. one

Sun. - God's New Creation - Rev. 21:1-7

Our offerings to God

Lesson text: Gen. 4:3-10; Heb. 11:4; Rome. 12:1; 1 King. 15:22-23

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. four

Key verse:"O man, it has been said to you what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love works of mercy, and to walk humbly before your God" (Micah 6:8).

Introduction

A person's actions or reactions can be either good or bad. When a person's will governs his mind and body, any sacrifice he makes has a connotation of selfishness and thus becomes displeasing to God.

In obedience to the Creator, the soul induces the renewed mind of man to bring Him worthy gifts. The born-again believer becomes a living sacrifice, always remembering that he must crucify his sinful nature so that every gift is offered to God with a humble heart and pure motives. Such a sacrifice pleases God (Rom. 12:1).

Lesson text

Gen. 4:3. After some time, Cain brought a gift from the fruits of the earth to the Lord,

4. And Abel also brought from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his gift,

5. But he did not regard Cain and his gift. Cain was very upset, and his face drooped.

6. And the Lord [God] said to Cain, Why are you upset? and why did your face droop?

7. If you do good, do you not raise your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he draws you to him, but you rule over him.

8. And Cain said to Abel his brother: [Let's go into the field]. And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

9. And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don't know; Am I my brother's keeper?

Heb. 11:4. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain; by which he received witness that he was righteous, as God testified of his gifts; with it he still speaks after death.

Rome. 12:1. Therefore, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercy of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 King. 15:22. And Samuel answered, Are burnt offerings and sacrifices as pleasing to the Lord as obedience to the voice of the Lord? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and obedience is better than the fat of rams;

23. For disobedience is the same sin as sorcery, and rebellion is the same as idolatry; because you rejected the word of the Lord, and He rejected you so that you would not be king [over Israel].

Lesson learning

Before describing what happened to Cain and Abel, we read about the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the guilt they felt, and their expulsion from Paradise. The text of today's lesson contains the very first mention of sacrifices, although it is very possible that Adam did this before. God, who is a God of order, must have already established a well-organized order of sacrifices, which was understandable to people and available for execution.

It seems clear that Cain was aware that his sacrifice was not so good. When God rejected his sacrifice and accepted Abel's, he was overcome with jealousy. God graciously gave Cain the opportunity to repent, but he neglected it. Jealous, he killed his brother, and then tried to justify himself before God.

In New Testament times, Paul thought of this as an event pertaining to faith. That Cain deliberately failed to offer the proper sacrifice for sin could not go unnoticed by a righteous God. Abel's sacrifice was a confession of his sinfulness and testified to his faith in the promised Redeemer. Therefore, God favored his sacrifice. In Romans, Paul pleaded with brethren, both Jews and Gentiles, to give themselves unreservedly as a constant sacrifice to God. He said that such a service is a sacrifice pleasing to God, a sacrifice for reasonable service.

The words spoken by Samuel to King Saul serve to remind us that an offering is a worthy requirement to fulfill, but the sacrifice itself cannot replace obedience to the will of God. Deliberate deviation from God's established order is offensive to God and will be punished. In Saul's case, disobedience and improper sacrifice cost him the title of king of Israel.

Practical truths for today

The words, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," speak to us of the most significant sacrifice ever made (John 3:16). Motivated by love, God created a plan whereby Jesus, the innocent Lamb, became the eternal sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

The fruits of the land on which Adam labored, the animals whose meat he ate, and clothing were what he needed to live. Realizing their importance and significance, he offered them as a sacrifice to God. Only if Adam and subsequent generations offered these sacrifices as the Lord required, their faith in the promised Redeemer was defended by them in righteousness.

The rivers of blood of sacrificial animals in the Old Testament time were only a sign symbolizing the Blood of Jesus, which was to be shed on Golgotha. By this, God wanted to show man that he is a sinner and completely incapable of expiating his sins; and it was only through faith that man was given to understand this comprehensive plan of salvation. Nothing could replace this order. There was no other way. There is no other sacrifice that can compare to the one God gave for us.

Today our sacrifices are not following rituals. They are the state of our hearts, and it is very important how we are guided by bringing them. If God so accurately determined the heart motives of Cain and Abel, how much more will His Spirit reveal to us whether our offerings are pleasing to Him.

A person cannot sacrifice what the Lord has not blessed him with, no matter through what circumstances and through whom we receive these blessings. Every offering we give to Him was created by Him, and we have received that blessing through Him, just as we did with sacrifices years ago. The gift of time, talents, material well-being and life itself - all this is from Him. And although we don't have the power to change any of this, by and large, God allows us to make a choice and give Him glory with what we have the power to choose. The Christian, having taken an oath to leave the world with its lusts, voluntarily assumed the duties of a steward of what the Lord gave him, instead of playing the deceitful role of a proud owner, whom the world loves so much.

Young people who believe are very important to the Kingdom of God. The values ​​they live by, their deeds and motives serve as a testament to those who live near them. Young people do not need to close in on themselves, believing that their talents are not developed, or that their contribution to the common cause is quite insignificant. Young people must allow the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts and minds so they can gain a vision for their ministry. Instead of worrying about the future and where to go next, they should be asking themselves, "What can I bring to God?"

We have never heard a man whose life was devoted to the service of the Savior regret it. Such people do not talk about what it cost them to crucify the flesh and do not boast about what they have done for others. They are obviously grateful to the Lord for the blessings He has bestowed upon them, and they want to continue to use themselves for God and for the service of others. On the Day of Judgment, they will be generously rewarded for their sacrifice. "Because you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me" (Mat. 25:40).

Questions

1. What does God love about "giving freely" (2 Cor. 9:7)?

2. The law required that only clean animals be sacrificed. Does it have anything to do with our times?

3. How can we know if God accepts our offering to Him?

For daily reading

Mon. - Formalism Rejected - Amos 5:21-24

Tue - Attitude - 2 Cor. 9:6-7

Wed - The joy of giving - 1 Par. 29:1-14

Thu. - Mercy surpasses sacrifice - Matt. 9:10-13

Fri. - Test of obedience - Gen. 22:1-18

Sat. - Deceit condemned - Acts. 5:1-11

Sun. - Widow's mite - Mark. 12:41-44

God's Unchanging Judgment

Lesson text: Gen. 6:1-8, 7:21-24

Parallel passages: Gen. 6; 7

Key verse:"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7)

Introduction

The word "immutable" means "undoubted, concrete, solid". If we understand correctly who God is, we don't need this word explaining, emphasizing the importance of His judgments. His word is forever sealed in heaven. No doubts and disputes on this subject on the part of man can change His will. May the study of this lesson help us to realize in our hearts the significance of the judgments of God and the sense of security they bring to our lives.

Lesson text

Gen. 6:1 When people began to multiply on the earth and their daughters were born,

2 Then the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took them for their wives, whichever one chose.

3 And the Lord [God] said: My Spirit will not forever be despised by men [these], because they are flesh; let their days be a hundred and twenty years.

4 At that time there were giants on the earth, especially since the time when the sons of God began to go in to the daughters of men, and they began to give birth to them: these are strong, glorious people of old.

5 And the Lord [God] saw that the corruption of men on the earth was great, and that all the thoughts and thoughts of their hearts were evil at all times;

6. And the Lord repented that he had created man on earth, and grieved in his heart.

7 And the Lord said: I will destroy from the face of the earth the men whom I created, from man to beasts, and creeping things and the birds of the air, for I repented that I had created them.

8 But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord [God].

7:21 And all flesh that moved on the earth lost its life, and birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that crawled on the earth, and all people;

22 All that had the breath of the spirit of life in their nostrils on dry land died.

23 Every creature that was on the surface of [the whole] earth was destroyed; from man to livestock, and creeping things, and the birds of the air, everything was destroyed from the earth, only Noah remained and what was with him in the ark.

24 And the waters were strong on the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Lesson learning

The Bible does not say much about what happened in the 1500 years from Creation to Flood. We read that the earth was filled with evil deeds and God repented that he had created man on earth. Earlier, we can read that among the people there were those who called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26). However, the number of people increased, and carnal desires and evil began to rule the people of God. If we look at what happened at the very beginning, we can see that the human mind has become a weapon in the hands of Satan. Using this, he distorted the human understanding of God. Was God really immutable? God's command was simple and clear: "Don't eat...!" He could explain why they shouldn't have eaten the fruit of that particular tree, but He wanted it to be simple.

The devil knew the nature of man and his desire to understand everything with his own mind. He knew that by encouraging a person to ask various questions, he would lead him into a trap in which a person would question the ordinances of God. The truth was called into question, the person began to doubt, and as soon as a person began to perceive God differently, less afraid of His decrees, immediately everything seemed to be covered with a veil. But God's decrees did not change from this. Not only have they been effective, but the results have exceeded any expectations that could be imagined. All mankind was doomed to death.

Before the flood, the world was full of violence, and people were not afraid of God's ordinances. The Spirit of God revealed to them the will of the Lord, but they did not heed it. Corruption has entered into the very heart of man, because in verse 5 we read that "every thought and thought of their heart was evil at all times." God is not mocked. The verdict was passed. The bearers of evil had to die. When the ordinances of God were violated, the judgment of God was irrevocable and the sentence was carried out.

And although it seemed that, being surrounded by evil and violence, Noah could not maintain purity and holiness, he won mercy in the eyes of God. The power that God gives us helped him and helps us today to keep ourselves clean and be spiritually strong. Of course, Noah also could not have stood if not for God's love and favor. God knew Noah's heart and blessed his pursuit. In 2 Pet. 2:5 Noah is called a "preacher of righteousness." Therefore, we believe that Noah boldly told people that their way of life was not pleasing to God and God's judgment was close. His pious life was a witness to the work of the Holy Spirit. Noah gave himself as a living sacrifice to God, and the Lord made a covenant with him. God gave Noah His blessing to build the ark so that he could save himself and his family. After they entered the ark and were safe, all living things experienced the severity of God's judgment. No living being, thinking and doubting, could change the will of God.

Practical truths for today

Knowing that the end times are near, we can learn a lot from reading about Noah. The devil uses our minds as a weapon against ourselves, just as he did years ago. Various commentaries and interpretations are appended to the Bible; psychologists and philosophers are trying to explain human behavior, the causes of our problems and find what or who to blame for all this. By reading their books and listening to their advice, we can sow doubts in our souls about the truth of God's Word. With such "textbooks" at our disposal, we can go into a spiritual dead end, becoming simply intellectual individuals. Ministers who have the talent of speaking and are fond of reading such literature are in danger that the word they preach will lose spirituality. Does God speak through such people? Do they bring sinners to repentance, or are their sermons mere hearsay ideas? Some converts may meditate for hours trying to understand the teachings of the church. But Bible truths will be closed to them as long as they rely on their own thinking. And only when they humble themselves will God open their minds to understand spiritual truths.

It seems that today it is more difficult to see what sin is. We can lose our sense of moderation in what we allow ourselves, in what we buy. What was once clear and definite is no longer white and black, but gray. The world is challenging simplicity, modesty, economy - everything that Scripture and the Church teaches, and there is a danger that we will have to reap the fruits of our neglect of biblical truths. We may not be sure whether it is a sin to act in one way or another, is it a greater sin than other sins? Asking such questions, we lose confidence that we ourselves can help someone grow spiritually, so we are reluctant to talk about these topics, if we talk at all.

Sometimes we may hear that a sinning brother reads the Bible, prays, and receives revelations from God. We are bewildered by the lack of consistency in his life. All this seems wrong and we think: "Maybe God in His love turns a blind eye to the sins of a brother and sees only the good in him?"

In this case, we can conclude that the sinning brother hides his true sinful nature behind the fig leaves of "righteousness." He does not hear the cry of his soul for salvation, muffled by the veil of self-righteousness, and his conscience does not condemn him for the sins of the flesh. But will this change the judgment of God? Have we forgotten about the hour of reckoning, which is so close?

Isn't that how it happens in our lives? People around live with worldly concerns. Jesus said, "In the days before the flood they were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not think until the flood came and destroyed them all" (Matt. 24:38,39). They were so carried away by the earthly, transient, that they completely forgot about their spiritual needs. Why didn't they come to their senses before the flood? The Spirit of God guided them; Noah preached to them; God gave them seven days to repent. After that, Noah and his family entered the ark and the door slammed shut behind them. It was enough for them to realize that the hour of their doom was at hand.

Are we all devoting enough time to meet our spiritual needs? Or have our hearts grown cold under the wobbling of our own reasoning? Are there those among us who, forgetting about Noah and the flood, will be taken by surprise on the Day of Judgment? "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Mat. 24:42)

Examples

A brother excommunicated many years ago was asked if he was seeking reconciliation with God? He replied, "Oh no! I don't focus on that." Then he said that thinking about it, he loses his peace. On the verge of eternity, such a person will perhaps regret, repeating: "How stupid that I just put it out of my head!" Do we succumb to the temptation to fill our minds with secondary, unimportant things, postponing spiritual needs until a more convenient time?

Questions

1. When the time of God's judgment is very close, will people be given a time, like when Noah and the family had already entered the ark, but the doors were still open?

2. Can we draw an analogy between the time when Noah was building the ark and what is happening now?

For daily reading

Mon. - The soul that sins will die - Ezek. 18:20-28

Tue - The parable of the tares - Matt. 13:24-30; 36-50

Wed - Day of the Lord - 2 Pet. 3:3-14

Thu. - Retribution - Deut. 7:-11

Fri. - The Second Death - Rev. 20:11-15

Sat. - The parable of the mines - Luke. 19:12-27

Sun. - Christ came to save - Jn. 3:14-21

The Ark of Security

Lesson text: Gen. 8:1-12, 18-22

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. eight; 9

Key verse:"By faith Noah, having received a revelation of things not yet seen, reverently prepared an ark for the salvation of his house; by it he condemned the (whole) world, and became an heir of righteousness by faith" (Heb. 11: 7)

Introduction

In this lesson we will talk about how God cares for his people. We will see how He spared those who believed in Him and followed His will, and how He punished the godless. The Word of God tells us how the bright light of God's mercy pierced the clouds of evil. "And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle, (and all the birds, and all the creeping things that creep) that were with him in the ark." By punishing those who grieved Him, He turned away His wrath. He was ready to pour out His grace on those who lived in the fear of God and those who lived in obedience to Him.

Lesson text

Gen. 8:1 And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the livestock, (and all the birds, and all the creeping things that creep) that were with him in the ark; And God sent a wind upon the earth, and the waters stopped.

2 And the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed, and the rain from heaven ceased.

3 But the water gradually returned from the earth, and the water began to subside at the end of the hundred and fifty days.

4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

5 The water continued to decrease until the tenth month; on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains appeared.

6 After forty days Noah opened the window of the ark he had made

7 And he sent forth a raven [to see if the water had subsided from the earth] which, having flown out, flew away and flew in, until the earth was dry of water.

8 Then he sent out a dove from himself, to see whether the waters had gone from the face of the earth,

9 But the dove did not find a resting place for its feet, and returned to it in the ark, for the water was still on the surface of all the earth; and he stretched out his hand, and took him, and received him into the ark.

10 And he waited another seven days, and again sent out the dove from the ark.

11 The dove returned to him in evening time and behold, a fresh olive leaf was in his mouth, and Noah knew that the waters were gone from the earth.

12 He tarried seven more days of others, and [again] let out the dove; and he did not return to him.

18 And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him;

19 all the beasts, and [all cattle, and] all creeping things, and all the birds, everything that moves on the earth, after their kind, came out of the ark.

20 And Noah built an altar unto the Lord; And he took from every clean livestock and from every clean bird, and offered it as a burnt offering on the altar.

21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savor, and the Lord [God] said in his heart: I will no longer curse the earth for man's sake, because the thought of a man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will no longer strike every living thing, as I have done:

22 henceforth, all the days of the earth, sowing and reaping, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease.

Lesson learning

In this lesson, as in other lessons concerning matters of salvation, we must pay particular attention to one aspect—our faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Through faith, Noah won the favor of God. Faith was the source of the fear of God and diligence in following all that the Lord commanded. It should be noted that Noah's complete obedience is emphasized (Gen. 6:22; 7:5). The more we understand the environment in which Noah had to live, the more we realize how strong the faith of this patriarch was. It is unlikely that anyone can imagine what courage it took for Noah to decide on a task that took 120 years to complete.

Noah started building when he was 480 years old, 20 years before his first son was born. Without a doubt, Noah hired neighbors to build the ark - those people who ridiculed him. And yet, for 120 years he built and preached. He preached to those who laughed at him, to those who rejected God. What zeal he must have had to instruct them so long and tirelessly, when we know that all his efforts were completely in vain.

And although Noah's faith went through the crucible of trials, what a consolation it was for him to see how the animals entered the ark without compulsion. When everyone found their place in the ark, God slammed the door behind them. Next we read a description of a terrible storm, the like of which has never been seen before. The clouds poured down rain, and the earth trembled in convulsions as the fountains of the great abyss burst open.

For forty days the water rose until it rose forty cubits above the highest mountains. "Every living creature was destroyed" except Noah and those who were with him in the ark.

It should be noted that the Bible speaks at least six times of the few saved who were favored by God. But only once, in passing, does he mention the great multitude of those who were exterminated.

At the end of 150 days, as the Scripture says about it: "And God remembered Noah, and about all the beasts, and about all the cattle, (and about all the birds, and about all creeping things that creep) that were with him in the ark; and brought God is a wind upon the earth, and the waters stopped" (Gen. 8:1). A dry wind dried up the waters "and the waters began to subside at the end of the hundred and fifty days" (Gen. 8:3). Exactly 5 months after Noah entered the ark, the ark again stopped on dry land.

We cannot even imagine what Noah thought and felt when he opened the roof of the ark. From there, from the top of the Ararat mountains, he saw a world free from sin. The earth was uninhabited, and the Lord gave Noah the responsibility and privilege to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." The first thing Noah did was build an altar to God and offer a burnt offering out of every clean livestock and every clean bird. Having done as Abel did at the beginning, he established the worship of the true God on earth. "And the Lord smelled a pleasant fragrance" (just as He looked upon the gift of Abel) and decreed that he would no longer curse the earth, destroying everything that lives on it, all the days of the earth, "because the thought of the human heart is evil from youth his".

Practical truths for today

"Surely the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, and to keep the wicked unto the day of judgment for punishment" (2 Pet. 2:9).

The division between the pious and the wicked began because Jesus, the great and true Preacher, came to call to Himself those who are worthy of salvation so that they can find unity in the abode of faith, in the family of God, in the brotherhood of believers. "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, Jew or Greek, slave or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). Many of those who heard Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost were "pricked in their hearts" and asked: "What shall we do, brothers and sisters?" The answer was: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 2:37,38). These and those on whom the Holy Spirit had been poured out earlier in the upper room were among the first to form the New Testament Church, the Church that Jesus promised to establish in Matt. 16:16 based on Peter's confession. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. He promised that He would always be with His Church, "until the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).

Of this Church, Paul writes that she is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The security of the Church is that it sustains and helps keep faith and truth in the heart. David said: "You loved the truth in your heart and within me showed me [Your] wisdom" (Ps.50:8). This teaches us that the truth that dwells in the heart is the highest virtue and the essence of salvation. All works of righteousness that are not done from a heart filled with truth are vain and useless. Scripture admonishes the shepherds and overseers of Zion to shepherd their flock, to watch over it, reproving and edifying, in order to keep the faith. Not only shepherds, but all of us must participate in this, so that the torch of truth will be passed from generation to generation, so that when Jesus comes, faith on earth will be alive.

Questions

1. John the Baptist admonished the scribes and Pharisees not to think that Abraham was their father. Is there a danger in relying too much on our heritage?

2. Is God now judging the wicked? If so, how?

For daily reading

Mon. - Victory over the world - 1 Jn. 5:1-9

Tue - An unshakable kingdom - Heb. 12:22-29

Wed - Enter through the door and you will be saved - Jn. 10:1-16

Thu. - It will be like in the days of Noah - Matt. 24:36-44

Fri. - We are fellow citizens - Eph. 2:12-22

Sat. - Build a house that will stand - Matt. 7:24-27

Sun. - The Great Call - Rev. 22:10-20

Decisions determine the purpose of the future

Lesson text: Gen. 13:1; 6-12; 19:15-20, 26

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. 13; eighteen; 19

Key verse:"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be zealous for one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13)

Introduction

The meaning of the word "decision" can be defined as "decree, sentence." Some decisions are made thoughtlessly, impulsively. Decisions are a part of our life and many of them lead to the most deplorable results. Each of our decisions determines our purpose in the future.

A purpose is a goal, reward, or result. The Word of God teaches that our destiny in eternity depends only on ourselves. "Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve" (Josh. 24:15). There are only two destinations in eternity, and each soul will follow one of the two paths, depending on the decisions that a person made in his life.

Lesson text

Gen.13:1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, towards the south.

Gen. 13:6 And the land was not big enough for them to live together, for their property was so great that they could not live together.

7 And there was a dispute between the shepherds of Abram's cattle and between the shepherds of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and Perizzites dwelt then in that land.

8 And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are kindred;

9 Is not the whole earth before you? separate yourself from me: if you are to the left, then I am to the right; and if you are to the right, then I am to the left.

10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the region around the Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was watered all the way to Segor, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt;

11 And Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. And they separated from each other.

12 Abram began to live in the land of Canaan; and Lot began to live in the cities of the region and pitched his tents as far as Sodom.

19:15 When dawn broke, the angels began to hasten Lot, saying, Get up, take your wife and your two daughters that you have, lest you perish because of the iniquities of the city.

16 And as he tarried, those men [angels], by the mercy of the Lord, took him by the hand, and his wife, and his two daughters, and brought him out and set him outside the city.

17 And when they had brought them out, one of them said, Save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this neighborhood; flee to the mountain lest you perish.

18 But Lot said to them, No, Lord!

19 Behold, thy servant has found favor in thy sight, and great is thy mercy which thou hast done unto me, that thou hast saved my life; but I cannot escape to the mountain, so that trouble does not overtake me and I do not die;

20 Behold, it is nearer to flee to this city, which is small; I'll run there - he's small; and my life will be saved [for your sake].

26 And Lot's wife looked behind him and became a pillar of salt.

Lesson learning

From the text of today's lesson, we see that Abraham returned to Egypt, the land of Canaan, for the second time, leaving it the first time because of a famine. This decision nearly cost him his life (Gen. 12:14-20). Upon his return, he went to Bethel, to the altar which he had made there at first; and there called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 13:4).

And Abraham and Lot were rich people, had a lot of cattle. The Canaanites and Perizzites lived in that land. Whatever the real reason, the conflict between the shepherds was the impetus for its solution.

Before and after this, we read about how Abraham built altars and worshiped God there. From time to time, he returned to the altars built earlier in order to strengthen faith in the Almighty. Through diligence, Abraham's faith surpassed the faith of many who call on the name of the Lord. At these altars, he sought the will of God through prayer and asked God to fulfill His promises. Denying himself, he strove with all his heart to make his goals and intentions pleasing to God and longed for peace for his people and Lot.

Being a peacemaker is a state of mind, but it also requires a choice to be made. Abraham, caring about the future and the happiness of his neighbors, approached his nephew with a peace proposal. Of course, Lot worshiped God at the altars that he built, or at least watched his uncle there. But nowhere in the Bible do we read that Lot himself built an altar and came to it to praise God there, seeking His guidance. He chose the well watered valleys of Sodom and Gomorrah. No doubt it was the water that caused the disagreement between the shepherds, but now there was no longer any quarrel over water. He must have thought the cities of the plains beautiful, and he pitched his tents as far as Sodom. Obviously, Lot was more concerned about himself, having no special respect for his uncle, or for his family, because he took them with him to these cities full of lawlessness. That one decision sealed the fate of his family. How much better it would have been if he had first consulted his uncle, or let his uncle decide. It would be good if he built the altar himself and sought God's will for himself and his family.

God's judgment on the cities and the whole plain was inevitable. To protect Lot and his family, the Lord sent angels. Lot's daughters had already married godless men, and Lot could not persuade them. From everything it becomes clear that Lot was indecisive. "And as he hesitated, then those men [Angels], by the mercy of the Lord, took him by the hand and his wife, and his two daughters, and brought him out and set him outside the city." He was told to flee to the mountains, but even here he tried to find a more advantageous path for him. He did not want to seek refuge in the mountains and begged God to let him escape to the small town of Sigor. And although this city was not as corrupt as the big cities, it could not provide Lot with the same security that he could get in the mountains. Rough decisions and waste of precious time led to the fact that he lost his wife. She disobeyed God and turned into a pillar of salt. Just a few years before, he had been a wealthy man with many livestock and servants, a wife and children to live with him. By making the wrong choice, he lost everything.

Practical truths for today

The case of Abraham and Lot clearly shows us that we must make intelligent decisions in spiritual matters. Many spiritually rich people have lost their spiritual wealth by making wrong decisions even in small matters.

Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God knew that a person would give due glory and honor to the Lord Creator only when he himself chose to serve Him. Heaven rejoices when a person decides to follow Jesus. We make decisions every day. Can you make a decision to pray now or, if necessary, continue to pray until dawn? Of course, it's easy to postpone a decision until a more convenient time, but do you listen to that small voice that tells you when it's better to pick up the Bible than to delve into another book or magazine? Correct, consciously made decisions determine your destiny in eternity.

Abraham lived in faith, constantly in prayer. His thirst for prayer led him to build and return to altars. Abraham's faithfulness tells us of his selfless walk with God. If we have a close relationship with God, we will have His blessings. Selfishness, which is the greatest threat to our lives, originates in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Lot's decision was selfish, because it was based precisely on pride. Those who are not concerned about the welfare of their souls may forget that God will bless them. We must make decisions with the knowledge that we have eternity before us.

We rarely know the consequences of our decisions because we simply cannot see into the future. We are told of disappointment by the testimonies of those who thought that they could spend some time in worldly pleasures, and then return to Christian life. Many lives have been shattered as a result of such unhealthy decisions. Once we decide to turn our backs on the Lord, we give ourselves over to Satan and soon find ourselves being pulled further and further aside, much further than we wanted to go. After returning, many asked God to remove the scars that reminded them of the past. But, the good news is that they are back on the path of God. The one who constantly rejects the guidance of God in his life is spiritually weak and sickly, and this applies to both the elderly and those who are younger.

Visiting those who are disillusioned with their lives is not just a minister's task. The one who has suppressed in his heart the impulse to visit someone may tomorrow appear before the closed door to eternity. We must remember that not only do we suffer from our decisions, but they affect the lives of our families, as happened to Lot's family when they followed in the footsteps of the head of the family. If our decisions are made for the good of others, those who look to us will follow our example.

We will never be able to fully understand and appreciate the blessings that we will receive by choosing the path of following the Lord. Remember the great promise: "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him" ​​(1 Corinthians 2:9).

Examples

As the Roman governor, Felix, listened to Paul speak to the court, Paul's speech moved him deeply. He promised Pavel more freedoms and allowed him to meet friends. A few days later, Felix again came to Paul to hear instruction in the faith. When Paul began to speak of truth, temperance, and the coming judgment, Felix was terrified. Standing at a crossroads, not knowing what to do, he said to Paul, "When I find the time, I will call you" (Acts 24:25). Nowhere else do we read that he turned to the Lord.

"Today, when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb. 4:7).

Questions

1. Why does the Word of God call Lot righteous? (2 Pet. 2:7-8)

2. Do our decisions affect the lives, or even the eternal destiny, of those around us?

For daily reading

Mon. - Life or death - Deut. 30:15-20

Tue - Jesus prayed - Luke. 6:12-16

Wed - Blessed be the wise choice - Ruth 1:6-18; 4:10-12

Thu. - Position influences decisions - Acts. 24:22-27

Fri. - Wealth affects decision making - Mark 10:17-22

Sat. - Covetousness leads to death - 2 Kings. 5:20-27

Sun. - Whom to serve - Jos. Nav. 24:14-24

Faith in God's Promises

Lesson text: Gen. 13:14-18; 15:1-6; 17:1-4

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. fifteen; 16; 17

Key verse:"He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but remained steadfast in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that He was also able to fulfill the promise" (Rom. 4:20,21).

Introduction

Abram, later called the God Abraham, sets us a great example of how we should believe in God's promises. In today's lesson, we'll look at how his faith was manifested in his relationship with Lot. Abraham was willing to accept what Lot left for him because he knew the Lord would bless him. Faith is the realization of things hoped for and the assurance of things not seen. If we are absolutely sure that the promise will be fulfilled and this conviction is deeply imprinted in our heart - this is faith.

Our key verse proves that Abraham had no doubt that God's promises would be fulfilled. May our study of this lesson strengthen our faith in the Lord, who is always faithful to us.

Lesson text

Gen. 13:14 And the LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, Lift up your eyes, and from the place where you are now, look north and south and east and west;

15 For all the land that you see, I will give you and your offspring forever,

16 And I will make your offspring like the sand of the earth; if anyone can count the sand of the earth, then your offspring will be numbered;

17 Get up and walk through this land in longitude and in its breadth, for I will give it to you [and to your offspring forever].

18 And Abram moved his tent, and went and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which is in Hebron; and built there an altar to the Lord.

15:1 After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision [at night], and it was said, Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield your reward [will be] very great.

2 Abram said: Sovereign Lord! what will you give me? I remain childless; the steward of my house is this Eliezer from Damascus.

3 And Abram said, Behold, you have not given me offspring, and behold, my household is my heir.

4 And the word of the Lord came to him, and it was said, He will not be your heir, but he who comes from your loins will be your heir.

5 And he brought him out and said [to him], Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can number them. And he said to him: so many offspring will you have.

6 Abram believed the Lord, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.

17:1 Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless;

2 And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face. God continued to speak to him and said:

4 I am my covenant with you: you shall be the father of many nations.

Lesson learning

To escape the famine, Abram fled to Egypt. His stay there was not long, and he soon returned to Canaan. Disagreements arose between the shepherds of Abram and the shepherds of Lot. "And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are kinsmen" (Gen. 13:8). By this Abram showed his faith in the Lord. He allowed Lot to choose a land for himself, and he himself settled in other lands. What a great faith. At the time when Lot chose the well-irrigated plains near the Jordan, Abram was left with hilly lands. After Lot separated, the Lord said to Abram, “Lift up your eyes, and from the place where you are now, look north and south, and east and west; for all the land that you see, I will give you and your offspring forever" (Gen. 13:14,15). God told Abram to go around this land and inspect it, because it was this land that He gave Abram as an inheritance. It is interesting that Abram built altars on the site of each of his parking lots.

God again appeared to Abram in a vision, led him out of the tent and commanded him to count the stars, if such a task would be within his power. Then He said to Abram, "So many offspring will you have" (Gen. 15:5). Abram believed the Lord, and this was credited to him as righteousness. God made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates" (Genesis 15:18).

When Abram was 86 years old, his son Ishmael was born. When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him again and gave him great promises. At the same time, God changed his name to Abraham. "And you will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be: Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations" (Gen.17:5). The Lord renewed His covenant with him and established circumcision as a symbol of the covenant.

We see that the Lord fulfilled His promises to Abraham, and He fulfilled the promises to us, so that our faith might be strengthened and grown. God is not pleased when we doubt His promises. We must remember that He is omnipotent and infallible. But many of God's promises can only be fulfilled when our lives meet His requirements for us. James wrote: "But let him ask in faith, not at all doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven up and tossed by the wind. Let not such a man think to receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6,7).

In Hebrews we read: "But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and reward those who seek Him" ​​(Heb. 11:6). We must believe not only in the existence of God, but also in the fact that he keeps His promises.

Practical truths for today

We serve the same God that Abraham served, and He has the power to do what seems impossible to us today, just as He did in Abraham's day. Recently, a widowed sister testified of how the Lord had answered her prayer. She lived in the countryside and, since she was no longer young, she wanted to move to where it would be easier to live - closer to the church and the city. She prayed all summer for an opportunity to sell her house so she could make the move. Her prayers were answered and she was able to move. Probably her faith was tested, but by persevering, constantly in prayer, she received a blessing.

God promised Abraham that he would become the father of a great nation. Abraham might have decided that to fulfill such a promise, he would need vast lands, fertile and well watered. Moreover, as the eldest in age, he could choose the land to which he also had the right, and which he could prefer. If Abraham had made such a decision, his choice would have had nothing to do with faith, but would have been based on human reason. We marvel at Abraham's generosity when we read that he gave the choice to his nephew. Faith in God allowed him to do this without the slightest regret. There is no evidence that by choosing the mountainous terrain he hindered God's blessings. At the same time, Lot's selfish choice led him to disappointment.

In this world, our life depends on material things that supply our physical needs. The achievements of all branches of science and the latest technologies are open to us, but at the same time there is a danger that, absorbed in this, we will want to manage our lives ourselves, forgetting about the almighty God. Perhaps we are influenced by the worldly contemporary philosophies who rob us of our need for God, convincing us that we can achieve perfection ourselves, through positive thinking and the accumulation of knowledge. Abraham owned many things that could also distract him from the service of God, if he allowed himself to do so. But he fully believed the promises of God.

We are heirs of God's promises to Abraham. God promised Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth through him. The fulfillment of this promise was the coming into the world of the Son of God, who was a descendant of Abraham both spiritually and literally. Abraham yearned for a heavenly home (Heb. 11:16). This is what all true Christians strive for. For this desire of ours to be fulfilled, we must follow the path that the Lord has revealed to us. Abraham is an example of living faith. He achieved his goal! Will we achieve?

Questions

1. When does our doubt about God's promises become displeasing to Him?

2. Can we base our faith on God's promises?

3. How soon does doubt turn into unbelief?

4. Are we too eager to praise God for answering our prayers?

For daily reading

Mon. - Promises fulfilled - 1 Kings. 8:54-61

Tue - There is no unrighteousness in Him - Ps. 91

Wed - Jesus is the same - Heb. 13:5-9

Thu. - He remembered His promise - Ps. 104:37-45

Fri. - The first commandment with a promise - Eph. 6:1-8

Sat. - Favor in His law - Ps. 39:8

Sun. - The unchanging Word of God - Heb. 6:12-20

Faith is tested and unshakable

Lesson text: Gen. 22:1-14

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. 22

Key verse:"With great joy, my brethren, receive when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2,3)

Introduction

The faith and obedience of Abraham are an enduring example for all Christians. The story of Abraham and Isaac is the story of a man whose heart and love were wholly dedicated to God. Abraham believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

It is also impossible to forget about Isaac here. His willingness to sacrifice himself allowed his father to show the obedience necessary to do the will of God. When their faith was victorious, they descended the mountain and returned home. Their hearts were filled with joy and blessings.

Can we, after passing through the trials of faith, win the victory? We can, and our victory should be part of the life of every Christian. "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Mal. 3:6). The study and discussion of this lesson is designed to strengthen our desire to walk with the Lord and encourage us to have simple, childlike, trusting faith in God's beautiful and blessed promises.

Lesson text

Gen. 22:1 And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham! He said: here I am.

2 God said, Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac; and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will tell you about.

3 Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took with him two of his servants, and Isaac his son; he chopped wood for the burnt offering, and getting up he went to the place about which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place from afar.

6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and offered it to Isaac his son; took fire and knife in hand, and both went together.

7 And Isaac began to speak to Abraham his father, and said, My father! He answered: Here I am, my son. He said, Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

8 Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son. And they both went on together.

9 And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him; And Abraham built an altar there, arranged the wood, and, having bound his son Isaac, laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took a knife to kill his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham! Abraham! He said: here I am.

12 The angel said, Lift not your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him, for now I know that you fear God and have not spared your son, your only son, for me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw: and, behold, behind a ram, entangled in the thicket with its horns. Abraham went and took a ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of [Isaac] his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah-Jireh. For this reason even now it is said: Jehovah will be seen on the mountain.

Lesson learning

According to the chronology of events described in the Bible, the story of Abraham and Isaac took place just between Creation and the birth of Christ. Significant events of this period of time were the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, God's promise of deliverance, the destruction of the corrupted world by the waters of the flood, the consolidation of the covenant and the rainbow, as a sign of this, the death of Sodom and Gomorrah.

We first read about Abraham in Gen. 11 and 12. God, having called him, established a covenant with him, promising him that the Messiah would come from him. "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). It is interesting to note that at the end of Genesis 4 we read: "Then they began to call on the name of the Lord [God]." In today's lesson, we see that it was not Abraham who called on the name of God, but God Himself called Abraham to prove in practice his love and devotion to Almighty God.

This was probably the biggest test of Abraham's life. The word "tempted" in verse one, chapter 22, can be interpreted to mean "tested." The all-wise God knew why Abraham had to go through such a severe test. This was his test of love for the Lord, and Abraham passed it successfully. This story is written in the Word of God so that we can learn through it today. A detailed description of what happened has a deep spiritual value. Notice how unshakable Abraham's obedience was in his striving step by step to fulfill God's command to sacrifice Isaac, and with what humility Isaac obeyed the will of his father, despite the fact that he was an adult. Notice how God supplied their every need and put the right words into Abraham's mouth so that he could answer his son's question, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" When Isaac was released, God sent them a ram to make up for the sacrifice. This story symbolizes God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and God's wonderful way of salvation for mankind. As we read this account, with each verse, new details are revealed to us of what will happen when the fullness of time comes when Jesus Christ comes. For example, Abraham symbolizes the righteous Father, Isaac - the Son who submitted to the will of the Father, while the ram is likened to the substitutionary sacrifice that the Son of God offered for the sins of mankind.

Abraham's love did not fail during the three days they had to spend on the road to the place of sacrifice; on the contrary, we can imagine that it has increased many times over. Just as enduring was God's love for His Only Begotten Son when He came to earth to do the Father's will. The death of Jesus on an old, rough-hewn cross was a reflection of God's love for the precious souls of those who were mired in sin and perished in despair.

Practical truths for today

Faith is a gift from God. This is the power that feeds the Christian on his way to the heavenly abode. "And the Apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). Today it is the cry of the soul of every true Christian.

One of the sources of true, living faith is written in Gal. 5:6: "Faith working through love." So many Christians, in their search for more faith, come to feel that faith is a virtue that is almost beyond their reach, but that others can have it. The question is not the quantity of faith, but its quality. Faith is manifested through deeds of love. If we love God and treat Him as our loving Father, sincerely honoring and revering Him, we believe.

The whole beauty of Abraham's faith lay in his simple trust in God, knowing that everything would be all right and in accordance with God's plan. He believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:19). Knowing the imminence of Isaac's death, he was steadfast and firmly believed in God's promises. The problems and trials of life purify and melt our hearts, making us humbler and kinder. God knows this and therefore does not seek to punish us, but prepares us for His service and for the heavenly abode. Well, if we think about the question Jesus asked in Luke. 18:8: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" The members of the Bride of Christ are now going through trials that they have not had to endure before. New Testament and the faith of our fathers is based on the principle of living faith in God. How can we keep this precious faith and remain wanderers and strangers who are looking for a city whose creator is a great God?

The youth of today need more than just religion and church attendance. The relationship of youth with God must be sincere and meaningful so that our Heavenly Father can deliver them from pride, love of the world and stupidity. The indicator of the position we occupy is our sincere, unquestioning obedience to God, His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the ordinances of God as far as we can understand them. Let's cry out: "Lord, give us strength and faith to overcome trials so that we can stand before Your heavenly, Blood-washed throne!"

Questions

1. Is lack of faith or lack of obedience a bigger problem these days?

2. What is the "sin that stumbles us" referred to in Heb. 12:1?

3. Speaking of the spiritual, can we use the term "blind faith"?

For daily reading

Mon. - Stupid disbelief - Nu. 13:30-14:5

28 Isaac loved Esau because his game was to his taste, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob cooked a meal; but Esau came from the field weary.

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Give me red to eat, this red, for I am weary. From this was given him a nickname: Edom.

31 But Jacob said to [Esau], Sell me now your birthright.

32 Esau said, Behold, I am dying, what is this birthright to me?

33 Jacob said to [him], Swear to me now. He swore to him, and sold [Esau] his birthright to Jacob.

34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentils; and he ate and drank, and got up and went; and Esau neglected the birthright.

Lesson learning

Isaac deeply revered God. Abraham, his father, not only taught him the word of God, but served him daily as an example of faith. With faith, Isaac asked the Lord for his barren wife Rebekah and God answered his prayer. Rebekah's pregnancy had its complications and she also prayed for it. God was merciful to her. He did not fix the problem, but explained to the woman the reasons for her ordeal. In her womb, two opposing peoples fought.

In the land of idolaters and atheists, Isaac and Rebekah were like the unfading light of the glory of the true God. What a wonderful legacy they could pass on to their children! From the very birth of the boys, it was clear that they were completely different. Esau was a skilled hunter, a connoisseur of the wild. Jacob, on the other hand, was a diligent herdsman, carefully planning his paths and taking care of household chores. Such a deep difference between the brothers led to disagreements between their parents, which later brought them much grief.

One day Esau came home from hunting and was exhausted and hungry. His hunger was so strong that he thought he would die if he didn't eat. Jacob saw this as a good opportunity and offered his brother food in exchange for the birthright. For Esau, apparently, his birthright did not matter much, and he sold him for lentil stew. After eating and satisfying his hunger, Esau went on his way. Of course, God was not pleased with the behavior of Esau and his refusal of the highest right and blessing as the eldest son. Esau forgot about it, but God did not, and Esau had to answer for his rash act.

Practical truths for today

We understand from Scripture that the birthright already had great importance during the time of the patriarchs, and later even was enshrined in law. According to this custom, the firstborn had special spiritual and material privileges, which many times exceeded the rights of younger children and were transferred from father to son before death. Therefore, primogeniture was very prestigious.

Esau did not value his birthright at all (Heb. 12:16). His appetite (literally and figuratively) ruled his entire life. Esau's vain self-confidence allowed him to sell his priceless birthright for a meal of lentils in the hope that he could restore it if needed. The time came and he realized that this right was lost to him forever. His prayers and tears could not change anything. In Heb. 12:17 says that Esau sought repentance but could not find it. From this we can conclude that a worldly, displeasing to God way of life was the cause of this loss. Instead, his heart was filled with bitterness and he began to harbor unspeakable hatred for Jacob. Having gained the birthright through cunning and deceit, Jacob had to flee for his life.

This incident clearly shows us that both brothers transgressed the commandments of God. And how are things today? A great price was paid for our birthright. Christ was the only one in heaven who was worthy to pay it. Being "begotten before every creature," He redeemed us with His blood. To those who received Him, He gave the power to become children of God through spiritual regeneration (John 1:12-13), and these He calls into His Kingdom. At baptism, we take an oath that we will be faithful to God and His Church, becoming citizens of His visible kingdom on earth. We become partakers "in the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Col. 1:12). It is a gift, a priceless treasure, and it would be reckless to let it slip from our hands. However, we have an enemy whom Jesus called a murderer, a thief and a slanderer. Only if we give in to the lust of our flesh can the evil one steal our birthright. He tempts us with what we are normally predisposed to, and when we show even the slightest weakness, he does his best to deprive us of our gift. Real life examples of how this actually happens are at the end of this lesson.

It is vital that we, as parents and mentors in the kingdom of God, know and do the will of the Lord ourselves. This is what will serve as an excellent example for our children and those who see our life. Our teachings really have power when the Holy Spirit breathes life into them and when we live those convictions. This makes us feel even more unworthy and must confess our sins to God, His Church, and our families. How often did it happen that the indignant heart of the son was softened when the father sincerely apologized to him, confessing that he was wrong. Believing parents will not seek to purchase housing that meets the latest fashion trends, with expensive interiors and furniture. Rather, their home will be a place where everyone is welcome and comfortable, rich and poor alike. The sincere desire of parents to be led by the Holy Spirit in all areas of life is passed on to their children. They feel that their parents have a faith for which they live and for which they are ready to die. When the Lord calls such children, their hearts are ready, and in humility they cry out to God. This is the work of the Spirit. And although this is not a direct merit of the parents, they are sincerely glad that their children can also find a living hope in a dark, sinful world. Indeed, we have a blessed heritage!

Examples

The young man is very reverent about his appeal to the Lord and courageously begins his walk along the path of life in Christ. But, nevertheless, he cannot leave his friends - peers, and as a result, small disobediences one after another enter his life. The Spirit of God begins to move away from him, and the desire for spiritual growth and fellowship becomes less and less. This leads to the birth of carnal lusts, and the young man is exhausted spiritually. The devil, in anticipation of an opportune moment, fills his life with temptations that he allegedly cannot resist. The young man knows that he can lose salvation by surrendering to the will of desires, but the voice of the Spirit admonishing him is already weak. The power of the Spirit left him. Due to a little carnal attraction, he loses his birthright. How much it cost and how cheaply he sold it. What will it cost to return it?

Parallel Scriptures: Gen. 27; 32; 33

Key verse:“All this is from God, who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Introduction

The word "reconcile" has a wonderful meaning. Reconciliation brings harmony to where before there was disagreement, misunderstanding; brings peace where there was war; brings kindness where there was malice. It repairs broken relationships.

After Creation, man's relationship with God was perfect. Everywhere there was harmony. But, at the same time, Satan was already making cunning plans to separate man from God. Man sinned, thereby creating a great abyss between himself and God. Man was doomed to eternal perdition, but in His great mercy and love the Lord, at a great price, created the path to reconciliation. "But if anyone sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1,2). Therefore, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can be reconciled to God. God has done his best in every way so that we can be reconciled to Him. The only thing left for a person to do is to want it.

Lesson text

Gen. 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father had blessed him with; And Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are drawing near, and I will kill Jacob my brother.

32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, and said, We went to your brother Esau; he comes to meet you, and with him four hundred men.

7 Jacob was very frightened and confused; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds, and the camels, into two camps.

8 And [Jacob] said, If Esau attacks one camp and beats it, then the rest of the camp can be saved.

9 And Jacob said, God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord [God], who said to me, Return to your land, to your kindred, and I will do you good!

10 I am unworthy of all the favors and all the good deeds that You did to Your servant, for I crossed this Jordan with my staff, and now I have two camps.

33:8 And Esau said, Why do you have this multitude that I met? And Jacob said, That [your servant] may obtain favor in the sight of my master.

9 Esau said, I have much, my brother; let yours be yours.

10 Jacob said, No, if I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand, for I have seen your face as one sees the face of God, and you have been kind to me.

Lesson learning

Jacob and Esau were complete opposites from birth. Could these two brothers have unity among themselves at all? Each of them had their own interests: Esau was a hunter, spending most of his time away from home, while Jacob preferred to be closer to the tents. The father loved Esau more, and the mother loved Jacob. This caused Esau to hate so much younger brother that even desired the death of Jacob. Fearing his brother's wrath, Jacob ran away. For twenty years the brothers did not see each other, and the Lord truly used this time to prepare them for the coming reconciliation. We see how God directed Jacob's life before he met Esau. We do not know how the Lord worked in Esau's heart, but the way Jacob presented himself softened his heart.

The Lord told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers. This meant that he needed to face Esau and his wrath. We do not read that Jacob prayed that the Lord would deliver him from his brother, thus solving the problem. Rather, Jacob prayed that the Lord would deliver him from Esau's vengeance. Jacob sincerely desired to be at peace with his brother. He wasn't about to negotiate. Instead, he brought Esau the gifts of a peace offering. Jacob warned his brother about his coming. He sent messengers ahead of him to inform Esau of Jacob's intention. This gave Esau time to sort out his emotions in order to avoid acting recklessly during the meeting.

Before making peace with Esau, Jacob talked with God. He wanted to be completely sure that the Lord would be with him during the meeting with his brother, so he sincerely prayed to the Lord about this. He laid out his need before God and reminded Him of His promises. After that, he fought the Angel. Jacob did not want the Lord to leave him. He chose to suffer in the flesh so as not to lose God's blessings. This meeting with the Lord changed not only Jacob's life, but also his name. He became lame, but he did not lose the blessing he longed for. After this incident, it was called Israel. When Jacob's heart was ready, Esau, seeing the humility of his brother, "ran ... to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him" (Gen.33:4).

Practical truths for today

Before communion, we must be sure that we are at peace with God and people. If the spirit of reconciliation is constantly with you, then you will take responsibility for your actions and will be ready to confess your mistakes and reconcile. Realizing that we live in sin, we lose peace. This can lead to our cutting off our relationship with God and other believers. We can only be at peace with ourselves when we are at peace with God. We can only be at peace with our families, with our brothers, only by being at peace with ourselves. We cannot have a good relationship with God and a bad relationship with a brother at the same time. “So if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23,24). "He who says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And we have such a commandment from Him that loving god loved his brother also" (1 John 4:20,21). Going to communion, we must be sure that we are at peace with God and with people. But peace with God depends only on us. "If we confess our sins , then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness "(1 John 1:9). If we are not at peace with God, the only one who is to blame for this is ourselves. "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38,39.) In our dealings with other believers, we are not always in control of ourselves, but we must remember the commandment: "If it is possible for you, be at peace with all people" (Rom. 12:18). the right to make a decision. If we do our best to reconcile with another person, and he refuses, he bears the burden of non-reconciliation. We should not demand reconciliation from anyone, but we must be prudent in this matter and, like Jacob, seek God's will. We must act wisely, as Jacob did when he humbled himself before Esau. We must be humble and sincere. By doing our best, we can leave the rest of the work in God's hands and find peace, even if that person did not want to be reconciled to us. Then it becomes a matter to be settled between that person and God. In everyday life when human lives so closely intertwined, even if we have the best of intentions, our relationship must go through trials from time to time and then through a healing process. Our relationship can suffer due to lack of communication, misunderstanding, suspicion. But we should not accept this as something strange and abnormal, because we are all sinners. If we are constantly humble, willing to receive instruction, and open to the Holy Spirit, love will soon return to us. If we follow God's way, instead of slavery, hatred and distrust, we will find freedom, love and confidence.

God loves and cares for us and nothing is impossible for Him. "For only I know the intentions that I have for you, says the Lord, intentions for good, and not for evil, to give you a future and hope" (Jer. 29:11).

Examples

In Luke 15 we can read three parables about how the lost was found. These three stories enable us to see God's love and compassion. They express the great desire of the Lord to bring a person to repentance and renew the fellowship that was interrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve. These verses speak of how glad the angels are when even one sinner returns to the ways of God. In the parable of the prodigal son, we read about how the son repented and regretted that he had left his father and about his desire to return home, even if for this he had to become a slave. This spirit and desire should be filled with everyone who seeks reconciliation. We read about the love and compassion of a father when he saw his erring son returned to him. The father did not reject his son for his stupidity, but completely forgave him. Like this should be the state of the heart of the person with whom they want to be reconciled. As we want the Lord to treat us, so we should treat people.

Thu. - Atonement - Rom. 5:1-11

Fri. - Deliverance for Israel - 2 Chr. 29:20-24

Sat. - Holy and sinless - Col. 1:21-29

Creation (part 2)

God makes the world beautiful and perfect Genesis 1:20-25

WHAT YOU CAN DO DURING THE LESSON

Name a few of God's creations: animals, fish, birds, etc.

Tell me who created them.

Play the game "Let's Draw Animals".

Sing a song about creation in gratitude to God for the animal world.

Learn to the end the rhyme about creation

Take a walk watching the wildlife.

Make a turtle.

teacher about the lesson

The primordial world was very good and simply wonderful, the Bible testifies to this in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. For a beautiful and perfect creation, praise and thanksgiving to its Creator resounds in our hearts. (Ps. 8:9). We admire the proud beauty of mountain peaks, the vast expanse of green plains stretching into the distance, the harsh rebelliousness of the roaring sea, the splendor of the starry sky flashing with flickering!

The fifth and sixth days of creation (lesson 2) surprise us with the diversity of the animal world that appeared. All these forms of life were created by the Great Creator. They also make us marvel and pray with the psalmist: “How many are thy works, O Lord! You have done everything in wisdom; the earth is full of your works." Ps. 103:24. And, if adults, deprived of simplicity, are surprised at God's creation, how much more are children surprised at him. And this is natural for them. For this, by talking about creation on the fifth and sixth days, maintain a childish delight. Telling them that everything they see, feel, breathe, hear and know is created by God, you begin to instill in your little listeners a deep, important picture of life, a picture of complete harmony. This perfection prompts us to thank God for the world around us.

The Bible says that of all God's creation only people are given the opportunity to atone for their guilt before God. Animals and humans were created on the same day. And the Bible says how God blessed them. (Gen. 1:22; 1:28). | We humans have a special responsibility towards them. Your listeners are still too young to understand and accept this responsibility, but they can and should be taught to respect other living beings as God's creatures and take care of their well-being. We earnestly ask you to work diligently on this lesson. The animal world created by God amazes us with its diversity, incomprehensibility and perfection. Part of creation, like all the rest, teaches us and shows the greatness of the self of God.

During the classes

materials

1. Live animal, bird or fish.

2. Color illustrations of the previous lesson.

On the last week we presented the children with a picture of creation. But that was only the beginning. In today's lesson, we will cover the topic of creating birds, fish and animals. You need to keep your three year olds interested. To do this, get ready to benefit from their boundless curiosity and genuine love for God's creations! You can start with a live illustration by bringing a puppy, kitten, bird, or aquarium to class. goldfish. You can also bring a butterfly to class for the children to look at, touch, or hold. At this time, talk about how beautifully they are all created, pointing out their eyes, mouth, paws, wings, and other features. When you finish, tell the children that only God could create everything so beautifully and interestingly!

After you have finished looking at the animals, show the children the illustrations you used in the last lesson to represent the beauty of God's world. Hold up all the pictures one by one and ask your children to describe them. At the same time, ask who created what they see. Use every opportunity to remind you of the basic truth of the first lesson: God created the world beautiful and perfect! Then tell the children that you have some more pictures you would like to show them today. Emphasize that they depict other equally wonderful creations of God.

bible story

Materials.

2. Color illustrations depicting animals, fish and birds.

Show the children your Bible, reminding them that the story you are about to tell is in God's Book. And also prepare some illustrations depicting the creation and spread it on your knees. God looked around beautiful world which He created. He liked him very much. The world God created looked so amazing, so good. God liked both the sun and the moon. (Show the children the picture of the sun and the night sky.) He liked both land and water. (Show the illustration of the sea and land.) He especially liked the plant world! (Show the plants to the children.) But God is not finished yet. Oh no! It's not over yet. God wanted to create many more creations. (Use the illustrations from the previous lesson as you tell the story.) “I will fill the waters of all the lakes, streams and oceans with life!” God said. And it became so. Well, what do you think, what kind of living creatures God will place;! in water? (Give the children a moment to think and then show the picture of the fish.) Fish! Yes, there were fish everywhere. Big, small, fast and slow.

“I am also going to fill the air with living creatures,” God said. And now the air was filled. Can you tell me what it was filled with? (Listen to the sentences, and then show the children the picture of the birds.) Birds! Birds of different colors and sizes. Robins, jays, eagle owls, sparrows, peacocks, doves... How beautiful it all is! God spoke again and said, "Let there be animals in My world!" Bears and lions, dogs and cats, and many different other animals filled the forests, fields, hills and plains. (Show the children the animals.) Now God's peace was almost complete. God looked around at all the beautiful things He had created. God's world looked very beautiful. But that wasn't all...

When you finish telling the Bible story, take time for the children to look at the pictures more closely. And also give the kids the opportunity to talk about their favorites. Emphasize what each little kitten, every dog, every parrot, fish swimming in the aquarium, God created!

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES

Practical activity is the time for outdoor games, walks and creativity! Invite your children to play with you the game "Let's Draw Animals*. Let each child choose the animal they would like to portray. While playing this game, children must make sounds and move in the same way as the animal chosen by each of them does. Set an example yourself by drawing, for example, a duck. Ask the children, imitating you, to walk, waddling around the room and quack. (If the weather permits, you can play this game outside, where you have more space and freedom, and where you will not disturb anyone). If children have trouble choosing animals, be ready to help them.

Some options you can use:

Jump like rabbits or frogs;

Jump like a kangaroo;

Fly like birds;

Stomp like elephants (the trunk can be depicted with arms outstretched in front of you);

Slither on your belly like snakes and crocodiles;

Walk on all fours, depicting dogs, cats, lions, tigers, etc.;

Walk on your toes like a giraffe;

Run like horses;

Buzz and fly like bees.

To calm children down after playing, ask them to hold hands in a large circle and then sit down on the floor or grass. Finish your practice with singing. If your practice was outdoors, ask the children to return to the classroom as quietly as possible, pretending to be little mice.

CONCLUSION

Materials Picture to bible history. (Each one).

Sing the song “Who Could Create?” that you sang in the previous lesson. Talk to your little ones about birds, fish and animals and sing about them. As you sing the song, pay special attention to the one who created this wonderful world for our enjoyment. End your lesson with a prayer of thanksgiving for the wonderful wildlife. In prayer, mention your children's favorite animals. If possible, give each child a picture of a Bible story and ask the parents to read the story of God's beautiful creation at home.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Walk. If, for whatever reason, you weren't able to go for a walk last lesson, do so today. Even if the walk took place in the last lesson, you can repeat it again, because small children love to walk! Take a box with holes in the lid so that air can pass through. Walking is a wonderful opportunity for children to look around at the beautiful creation of God. During your walk, pay attention to the children different kinds birds, insects and other living things. Stop for a while and, closing your eyes, listen to the amazing singing of birds, the chirping of crickets and the buzzing of various insects. Take the time to look for the tiny ant or other small bugs. And, if possible, catch a few to take with you to class and then show moms and dads your little ones. With every living thing you find, remind the children of their beautiful Creator. (Make sure children don't catch bees!).

2. Light snack. A light snack may consist of cookies baked in the form of animals or fish. Discuss them with your children as you eat.

3. Rift with movement. If you started teaching rhyme 1 (Creation) with your children last week, then today repeat the first verse with them. Then add a second verse and repeat the rhyme all together until the children remember it.

4. Making an animal. If your children like to do something with their own hands, then to take the craft home. Today you can invite them to make a turtle. To do this, you will need small paper plates, models of the head, legs and tail (preferably from green paper), green crayons and felt-tip pens, glue. Assemble the turtle by showing and explaining to the children how they can do it themselves: turn the paper plate upside down; color it green lay out the models of the head, legs and tail in the right places; glue all the details. (Maybe the kids can't glue them on themselves, be sure to help everyone!) After the kids show you the turtle they made, give them time to play with it.

Here are a few questions to end the lesson with:

1. Who created all the animals, birds and fish?

2. Name the animals, birds and fish that you know. 3. What is your favorite animal?

IF YOU HAVE TIME

1. To the examples of God's creation laid out on the table, add some more that are related to today's topic: live fish, insects and other living things, bird nests, feathers, shells, tortoise shell, starfish, butterfly cocoons and other things related to the animal world. Try to draw the children's attention to these objects and use every opportunity to tell them about the Creator, Who created everything around so wonderfully!

2. Prepare picture books and riddles that talk about animals. Give the children the opportunity to look at the pictures, and then make riddles. If the kids can't answer, tell them the answer.

3. Place the pot of plants you planted last week out of reach of children. Ask the children if they can now recognize seeds that have already begun to sprout. Ask those who wish to help you water the seedlings.

4. Choose a few toys with the children and arrange them on the playground, creating a zoo in the classroom. Play fishermen, zoo, circus on wheels.

5. Draw a color picture with crayons or felt-tip pens that matches the topic of today's lesson. You can also use dough that the kids can use to squeeze or shape different animals. Give each child a piece of dough and be ready to help them with this work. Prepare a simple dough: mix water and flour, based on how many children you have in your group.

Municipal budgetary preschool educational institution kindergarten of combined type No. 3 "Rucheyek"

Development of a lesson on spiritual and moral education for children of senior preschool age on the topic "Creation of the World"

Completed by the educator

O.A. Karpunina

Vyksa city district

year 2013.

Explanatory note.

Children of older preschool age reach enough high level physical and mental development, they perfectly master almost all types of activities, are distinguished by great mobility, sufficient endurance, speech becomes literate, vocabulary expands, the ability to retell small works of art appears, to compose stories from personal experience while fantasizing. Children of this age are already able to control their behavior, they begin to make demands on themselves that adults used to make on them; this becomes possible due to children's awareness of generally accepted norms, rules of conduct and the obligation to comply with them. Formation in older children religious feelings is based not only on emotions, but also on certain knowledge, correct ideas about good and evil, justice. According to priest Alexander Elchaninov, “it is important to hurry to fill the heart and mind of a child with light and goodness from an early age”, “this is exactly the soil in which the sown yields a crop of thirty, sixty and even one hundred carats. Then, when the soul becomes petrified, the soul becomes hardened, perceived in childhood can again purify, save a person. Therefore, we can conclude: what a person perceived in childhood determines his whole future life.

Based on the foregoing, I set myself goal: to give children an elementary idea of ​​God as the Creator of everything that exists; show how beautifully our Earth is created.

Focusing on the goal, I formulated tasks:

Familiarization of preschoolers with the main events of the Old Testament;

Raising in children a sense of love, a caring and careful attitude towards the plant and animal world, teaching them a careful attitude towards the world around them - the great creation of the Lord;

Assistance in the formation of a spiritual and moral personality with an optimistic outlook on life, with a focus on the knowledge of God, to help make sure of His reality through familiarization with the beauty and wisdom of the world he created, to contribute to the formation of higher (religious) feelings;

Promoting the development of children's speech: vocabulary enrichment, development of verbal communication skills;

Development of skills of perseverance and accuracy in work.

The general educational program of our kindergarten does not allocate time for conducting classes on the spiritual and moral education of children, so I use my free time in the morning, evening time and on a walk to carry out the following forms of work in this direction: games, conversations, observations, theatrical activities , reading fiction, productive activities.

Expected result.

With the help of systematic work on spiritual and moral education, I hope to achieve the following results:

Stability of behavior skills;

Stability of mental development;

Integrity of perception of the world;

Education of a comprehensively and harmoniously developed personality;

Formation of a team where everyone is valuable in itself, and everyone comes in harmony with each other;

Development of abilities for self-improvement and independent creativity;

Preliminary work:

Working with illustrative material; observations on a walk; conversations “The World of God is around us”, “Light. Day. Night", "Sky"; mobile game "Day - night"; reading the story "Our World"; reading the Children's Bible ( Old Testament); creative activities of children: drawing and designing on the topic "Clouds", "Day - Night", "What we saw on a walk."

Vocabulary work:

God, Lord, Bible, World, man-made, vault of heaven, light, darkness, night, day.

Lesson progress:

1 part of the lesson:

Educator:

Our world was created a long time ago

And we live in that world

God gave it to us

And revealed the secret of creation.

The holy book lies before us,(pointing to the Bible)

We call the book the Bible

She told us about the Universe,

About how the world was created.

(The teacher switches the attention of the children to the album on the easel)

Several pages of this book

We put it in this album.

Leafing through, we will remember with you the days of creation,

We will call the album “Six Days”.

Day 1.

Let's open the first leaf

Let's remember what God created...

Child reader:

On the first day?

Invisible world;

Spiritual ether flows.

In it the angels sing songs,

And the world found shelter.

Educator:

Children, the Bible story begins with the words:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the abyss;

and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.”

So, at first there was nothing at all... Only darkness and emptiness...The teacher invites the children to close their eyes, close their ears with their hands, sit like this for a few seconds, and then answer the questions:

Educator:

Have you seen anything? What was before your eyes? Have you heard anything?

Nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard - only darkness and silence.

Close your eyes again. Dark? Now open your eyes. What did you see?

Light, objects around, each other... In the beginning there was nothing but darkness and emptiness in the world, but now God created light.

“And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.

And God saw the light that it was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

And God called the light day, and the darkness night.

And there was evening and there was morning: one day.

This was first day of the world.Evening, and morning, and the very days of God's creation of the world were much longer than our present days.

Day 2

(The teacher draws the attention of the children to the album, opening the second page).

Educator:

Let's open the second sheet

And remember what God created

On the second and long day...

Child reader:

On the second day?

firmament,

Where does the rain come from.

Above and below - water

And the sky between them then.

Educator:

This page is a game.

On the properties of all matter.

We will show the properties of all substances around

With the help of hands.

Didactic game "Solid, liquid, gaseous". The teacher names the substance (stone, air, ice, milk, candle, steam, juice, etc.), and the children show its state: “solid” - fingers clenched into a fist; "liquid" - palms are open, fingers are pressed to each other; "gaseous" - the palms are open, the fingers are spread out.

Educator:

In second day of peaceGod created water and firmament - the space surrounding the earth is the sky that we see.

Day 3.

(The teacher draws the attention of the children to the album, opening the third page).

Educator:

Let's open the third sheet

And remember what God created

On the third long day...

Child reader:

Seas are made from water.

Among them - land-land,

God planted flowers on the earth,

Grass, trees, bushes.

(Music sounds of the sounds of nature, the teacher demonstrates Reproductions of landscapes by I. Shishkin, I. Levitan, I. Aivazovsky and other artists).

Educator:

And we will revive this page!

Children run in to the music - flowers, with masks on their heads.

How pleasant at dawn

The scent of garden fields

It would be boring to live in the world,

If there were no flowers.

Bell

little blue bell

I call softly

Before God's Grace

I bow my head.

Chamomile

Chamomile has petals

Like a bird has feathers.

Look into the middle

In the middle is the sun.

Lily

Lily is beautiful

Everyone in the world loves it.

Dandelion

Lightweight, fast,

Like a shuttlecock

F-u-u-u!

Dandelion exploded!

Rosette

And I'm a rose in the garden

This is how I smell, this is how I bloom.

Educator:

And now look again at the pictures, which depict everything that God created on the third day and guess the riddles:

Into the sky they rest

Their tops are covered with ice.

(the mountains)

They are high

Brown and green.

In summer they are curly.

In winter they are naked and clumsy.

(trees)

They are low

Fluffy and fragrant.

Prickly and branched.

(shrubs)

Here - where we do not throw our eyes -

Water blue expanse.

In it, the wave rises as a wall,

White crest above the wave.

And sometimes it's quiet here.

Did everyone recognize him?

(sea)

Day 4

(The teacher draws the attention of the children to the album, opening the fourth page).

Educator:

Let's open the fourth sheet

And remember what God created

On the fourth and long day...

Child reader:

On the fourth?

God made

There are many lights in the sky

Sun, stars and moon

They have been shining ever since.

Educator:

On the fourth day of peaceGod created the heavenly bodies:sun, moon and stars.

(Examining with the children illustrations of the day and night starry sky, children's reflections and answers about the difference between day and night.)

At the discretion of the educator, a mobilegame day and night. The teacher in the hands of two pictures depicting the moon and the sun. At the moment when the teacher shows a picture of the sun, the children move rhythmically to the music, and when the picture of the moon, the children freeze.

Day 5

(The teacher draws the attention of the children to the album, opening the fifth page).

Educator:

Let's open the fifth sheet

And remember what God created

On the fifth and long day...

Child reader:

On day five?

fish in the water,

Frogs and snakes on the ground

And flocks of birds in the sky

Insects and midges in the forests.

Educator:

On the fifth day of peace by the command of God, appeared fish and birds.

It was quiet above the ground

Only the surf roared like a wave.

The Lord created on the fifth day

Fish and birds for you and me.

In the blue ocean

The fish have found their home.

Birds rejoice in the sky

Dawn breaks.

Birds sing praises to God

Thanks for the love.

(Anatoly Kiselev)

Day 6

(The teacher draws the attention of the children to the album, opening the sixth page).

Educator:

Let's open the sixth leaf

And remember what God created

On the sixth and long day...

Child reader:

The sixth day showed us a miracle!

From nothing, from nowhere

hippos, crocodiles,

Deer, tigers and gorillas...

The earth is full! And so

A miracle awaits us - a miracle awaits everyone.

The crown of creation is man!

"Inherit the whole earth forever!"

Educator:

On the sixth day appeared, according to the word of God, different animals on earth.

Invite the children to name and point to pictures of familiar domestic and wild animals.While looking at the pictures, children recognize familiar birds and fish on them, tell how the habitat and lifestyle of fish and birds differ.

On the sixth day when the whole world was already created, God created human - man and woman - and instructed people to take care of the whole earth.

And God finished His work on the seventh day. And the Creator blessedthe seventh day, and commanded to devote every seventh day to the service of God and neighbor; made the seventh day a holiday.

2nd part of the lesson:

Teamwork drawing and application: on the six sides of a cube,(pasted with white paper), six days of creation. Remembering what they heard, the children make small drawings with pencils or felt-tip pens on the theme of the days of the creation of the world.(if children have developed visual skills)or cut out images prepared by an adult, which are immediately pasted on different sides of a cardboard cube. Each child has time to cut and paste several pictures. As a result, a motley cube is obtained, considering the edges of which, one can again recall the story of the days of God's creation of the world.

Telling about the days of the creation of the world, you can show children illustrations. They should be asked to draw in advance one of the adult assistants or the parents of the pupils, using the materials from the books of S.S. Kulomzina "The Law of God for the smallest", K. Tarasar "Our life with God."

3rd part of the lesson:

Didactic game: "Days of Creation".

During the game, the teacher calls the day, and the children name the events in accordance with the called day - each of the six faces: 1 day - light and darkness, water and land, fish and birds, animals, people.

Listening to the recording of the chant "Glory to God in the Highest", the children sing along.

Lesson form: occupation is a summary.

How to organize children for class: frontal.

Getting a specific result:the main result is the assimilation by the child eternal values: mercy, love of truth, in his striving for good and rejection of evil.

To date, one of the unresolved problems of work on the spiritual and moral education of preschoolers in kindergarten there remains monitoring, by which it is possible to track the spiritual and moral development of preschoolers.

Material for the lesson:

1. Photos of beautiful landscapes, reproductions of paintings by Russian artists: Savrasov "The Rooks Have Arrived", Levitan "Above Eternal Peace".

2. Musical series: “Sounds of the feet”, a recording of the hymn “Glory to God in the highest”.

3. Album "Shestidnev".

4. Pictures depicting the day and night sky, plants, animals (fish, birds, animals).

5. A cube-shaped cardboard box, so that on the six sides of the cube you can stick images selected or drawn by children in accordance with what was created by God in the first, second, etc. days of creation.

6. Colored pencils, markers.

7. Scissors.

8. Glue stick, napkins

Bibliography.

1. Children's bible.

2. Prot. Seraphim Slobodskoy "Law of God", p. 16-22

3. Spiritual and moral education in preschool educational institutions: traditions and reforms. Materials of section 14 of the International Christmas Educational Readings / Under scientific. ed. O.M. Potapovskaya. - M .: Department of Religious Education and Catechization of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2006

4. First steps in Orthodox church. - 4th ed. - STSL, 2011.

5. S.S. Kulomzina "God's law for the smallest."

6. K. Tarasar "Our life with God."